© Khunaspix Dreamstime.
The interim results of Hapag-Lloyd were uninspiring, to say the least.
Not only is the world’s fourth-largest box line struggling to cope with a sluggish business cycle, but it is debatable whether the short-term benefits of its acquisition-led strategy outweigh the long-term risks such corporate actions could bring.
Revenues continued to fall in the first half of the year, while front-loaded synergies stemming from previous deal-making seem to have vanished. Hapag booked almost €900m less in turnover than a year earlier, while its ...
Comment on this article
Tamer Mohamed
August 19, 2016 at 6:51 pmWorld Record Loading: 18,634 TEUs onboard M.V Tihama Westbound from Asia into Europe
August 12, 2016
UASC is beating the world record that it previously set (18,601 TEUs) on Al Muraykh early this year.
Paul Nicholson
August 20, 2016 at 12:49 amIt is interesting to note , that buy lines , or merge seems to be the “silver Bullet” at the moment , then we go to larger vessels to reduce “operating costs per TEU ” , The lines reduce rates to fill the vessels , thus give up most , if not all what they gained.
Sales and service staff are reduced , and cargo which “traditionally” were lines cargo now become controlled by Freight Forwarders , who often give better service than the lines do.
When will there be some sanity put back into the Shipping business ? the airlines seem to have coped better that the lines have.
When are shippers going to realise that they , in the long run , are not going to be better off freight rates don’t increase , so lines can stay in business . Is an additional 1 or 2 hundred dollars really going to impact on a sales costs for goods with $1000’s of dollars in a container ? I doubt it.However good quick efficient service DOES make a difference.
Lets stop and look at ourselves , and try to think “outside the box” for a change.
Informed Person
August 22, 2016 at 12:37 amThe deal is NOT an acquisition it is a merger and if anything the biggest single shareholder in the new company will be the owners of UASC…. Still a acquisition to you?
Ale Pasetti
September 02, 2016 at 8:56 pmWho retains control, IP?