Comment / Container counterfactuals: spot market vs time-charters

ID 356123218 © Mercatec | Dreamstime.com

Yesterday’s column by MSI director Daniel Richards was a warning for investors in container carrier and non-operating owner stocks alike – downward momentum in spot rates to continue and downward momentum to emerge in the time-charter market from 3Q25.

There is a counterfactual, however: container ship owners might be heading for another bumper year – according to MSI’s recently released monthly report the charter market remains strong and is expected to remain so however the freight markets perform.

Conventional wisdom at the moment ...