Maersk sees profit plunge after rate cut. The Danish conglomerate AP Moller-Maersk, owner of the second largest freight shipping operator, has achieved an attributable net profit of $2.72 billion in 2025, a fall of 55.4% compared to the previous year, as reported by the multinational. In addition, Maersk has warned of the impact on its 2026 results, the sector’s overcapacity and the gradual reopening of the Red Sea route.
“Profitability declined due to lower freight rates due to supply overcapacity,“ the company explains in the note. In the fourth quarter of 2025, Maersk posted a loss of $70 million, compared with a profit of $2,085 million in the same period of 2024. Its turnover for the last financial year as a whole reached $53.988 billion, 2.7% below 2024 revenues, with a year-on-year decline of 8.6% between October and December, when it turned over $13.331 billion.
The freight shipping division’s annual revenue was down 6.4% to $34.975 billion; the logistics business increased its turnover by 1.2% to $15.103 million, and the terminals division posted a 19.6% increase in revenue to $5.339 billion.
“The year highlighted the need to strengthen and modernize global supply chains and critical infrastructures, which reinforces the relevance of our strategy,“ said Vincent Clerc, CEO of Maersk.
Maersk posted a loss of $70 million in the fourth quarter of 2025
The company’s board of directors will propose to the annual general meeting the approval of a dividend of DKK 480 per share ($ 75.9), equivalent to a payout ratio of 40%, similar to the previous year, in addition to authorizing the initiation of a dividend of DKK 1.5 per share, equivalent to a payout ratio of 40%, similar to the previous year, as well as authorizing the initiation of a share buyback program for a maximum of DKK 6.6 billion ($1 billion), to be implemented over a 12-month period.
Looking ahead, Maersk anticipates global container volume growth of between 2% and 4% in 2026, when the company expects to achieve an underlying gross operating profit (ebitda) of between $4.5 billion and $7 billion, while it forecasts capital expenditure for the 2026-27 period of between $10 billion and $11 billion.
“The ranges reflect the expected overcapacity in the shipping industry and scenarios of a gradual reopening of the Red Sea in 2026,“ said the company, whose forecasts also take into account the impact of the change in the life cycle of the Red Sea.The forecasts also take into account the impact of the change in the estimated useful life of vessels from 20 to 25 years from January 1st, 2026, with an estimated effect of around $700 million in reduced depreciation in 2026.
Maersk shares were down as much as 8.2% on Thursday
On the other hand, in order to reduce its costs and drive productivity improvements, Maersk will implement measures to simplify the organization and reduce overheads. As part of this, it will cut corporate costs in its headquarters, regions and countries by $180 million annually.
“Out of approximately 6,000 corporate positions, around 15 % (approximately 1,000) will be closed,“ it has announced.
In addition, the Danish company will regroup its Logistics & Services product portfolio into three sub-segments: Land, Transport and Solutions. Thus, the organization will be adjusted and, while the land products will be managed locally on a national level, Transport and Solutions will operate as global product organizations.
In this regard, Narin Phol, currently head of Logistics and Services, has been appointed head of Solutions, and Christoph Hemmann, currently global head of Air Products and LCL, has been appointed head of Transportation.
