CMA CGM Sees Profit Easing as Demand Wanes, New Ship Supply

May 26, 2023

© Tupungato / Adobe Stock
© Tupungato / Adobe Stock

CMA CGM expects its profit to ease further for the rest of the year after a first-quarter decline, as an uncertain economy and influx of new vessels cool the container shipping market after a record 2022.

The company, based in Marseille and privately controlled by the founding Saade family, on Friday reported a first-quarter net profit of $2.0 billion, compared with $7.2 billion in the year-earlier period, and said in a statement it expects the first quarter to be its most profitable of 2023.

CMA CGM is among shipping firms to have posted record profits last year, after the COVID-19 pandemic triggered a rush in maritime transport, and the group has poured its earnings into acquisitions to expand its logistics business and enter the media industry.

In a separate announcement on Friday, CMA CGM said it had offered to buy French online business newspaper La Tribune.

Earlier this month, CMA CGM agreed to buy the logistics operations of family-run conglomerate Bollore for an enterprise value of 5 billion euros ($5.5 billion) in what will be its biggest-ever deal if completed.

Integrating its acquisitions was the priority for CMA CGM, though it had "significant financial room for manoeuvre" with liquidity of around $25 billion that was above its debt level, Chief Financial Officer Ramon Fernandez told reporters during a call.

An expected increase of 8% in global shipping capacity, compared with forecast growth in global trade of just 1.5%, for this year would maintain pressure on freight rates, he said.

However, CMA CGM was seeing a recovery in its maritime volumes after a 5% year on year fall in the first quarter, and expects volume growth over the full year, said Fernandez, who joined CMA CGM this year from telecoms group Orange.

The group's recently established air cargo division saw a slow start to the year as demand softened following a surge during the pandemic, but CMA CGM aims to use its joint venture with Air France-KLM and the planned takeover of Bollore Logistics to boost the business, Fernandez added.


($1 = 0.9084 euros)

(Reuters - Reporting by Gus Trompiz, Editing by Louise Heavens)

Logistics News

Guinea Exports Record 48.6 Million Tons of Bauxite

Guinea Exports Record 48.6 Million Tons of Bauxite

ASRY Hosts First Innovation Forum with Lumofy

ASRY Hosts First Innovation Forum with Lumofy

Osbit Opens New Offshore Wind Facility in Port of Blyth

Osbit Opens New Offshore Wind Facility in Port of Blyth

Red Sea Bypass Contributed to Containers Lost in 2024

Red Sea Bypass Contributed to Containers Lost in 2024

Subscribe for Maritime Logistics Professional E‑News

US Senate bill's clean-energy cuts spark backlash from business, labor
Meta, TikTok may be sued by the mother of a NYC teen who was killed while "subway surfing"
Planning ministry: Egypt's economy will grow by 4.77% during Q3 2024/25