Braemar Shipping Services plc isued its Interim Management Statement in relation to the period since the six months ending 31 August 2009.
The group has benefited from a dry bulk market which has been stronger than many expected during much of 2009, particularly in the latter part of the year. This has mainly been due to the continuing high demand from China, and to a lesser extent India, for the import of raw material which has been sufficient to absorb the arrival of new tonnage and for the return of port congestion. Braemar has also benefited from a good level of sale and purchase activity and demolition broking remains extremely active as the scrapping of older ships, particularly in the container and tanker sectors, continues to grow. For much of 2009 the tanker market rates have been weak due to lower global industrial energy demand and the impact of newbuilding deliveries. But there has been some improvement in rates in recent months and the Group’s transaction numbers remain strong. Additionally, Braemar’s specialised tanker team has won some important new business in recent weeks and the Group is growing its presence in the wet FFA (Forward Freight Agreement) market.
The established Technical, Logistics and Environmental divisions are all performing in line with expectations.
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