Maersk reports 20% revenue surge to US$15.8B in Q2

GLOBAL – Maersk has delivered a strong second-quarter performance, with revenue up 20% year-on-year to US$15.8 billion, driven by high demand, higher spot rates in Ocean, and growth across all business segments.

The company grew volumes across all segments, with Ocean loaded volumes increasing by 4.1%, driven by Asian exports, while the average loaded freight rate increased by 22%.

On the other hand, vessel utilization remained high at 96%, and unit cost at fixed energy decreased by 0.8%, as higher volumes counterbalanced the increase in operating costs.

Group EBITDA rose to US$3.0 billion from US$2.3 billion, EBIT increased to US$1.6 billion from US$845 million, and the EBIT margin reached 10.0%.

Full-year guidance has been raised to underlying EBITDA of US$10.5-12.5 billion (previously US$8-10 billion) and underlying EBIT of US$4.5-6.5 billion (previously US$2-4 billion).

CEO Statement and Market Context

Vincent Clerc, Chief Executive Officer at Maersk, said: “The second quarter was yet another proof point of the new era of heightened volatility we have entered. Strong, broad-based demand from the Far East since 2024 has resulted in significantly more unbalanced trade flows, with volume levels that are challenging landside infrastructure capacity. From ports to inland transportation, we are seeing increased congestion and disruption across multiple geographies.”

“Our global team’s ability to capture opportunities in these difficult markets has enabled us to deliver significant volume and earnings growth across our businesses, leading to the substantial upgrade to our full-year guidance. As markets evolve, we remain focused on helping customers respond quickly to change and maintain the integrity of their supply chains,” he added.

Segment Performance and Strategic Investments

Ocean was the main contributor to revenue growth, lifting revenue by US$2.0 billion. Logistics & Services delivered another quarter of continued improvement, resulting in an EBIT margin of 5.1%, with revenue up 15% year-on-year.

Meanwhile, terminals revenue increased by 11%, supported by a 7.1% increase in revenue per move.

Across the portfolio, Maersk continued to expand, including in Brazil, where APM Terminals inaugurated the continent’s first fully electrified container terminal in Suape, representing a US$350 million investment.

In Vietnam, APM Terminals and Hateco Group signed an agreement worth over US$1.7 billion to build and operate the Lien Chieu Container Terminal

Lastly, Maersk has updated its full-year 2026 financial guidance, reflecting global container market volume growth of approximately 4%.

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