Maersk Shares Surge 10% on Strong Q4 Results Amidst Trade Uncertainty

Maersk, the world's leading maritime transport company, reported fourth-quarter profits above forecasts on Thursday, sending its shares soaring by more than 10%. The Danish shipping giant's strong performance, despite geopolitical uncertainties and trade disruptions, reflects the resilience of the global shipping industry and its ability to adapt to changing market conditions.

Maersk's underlying earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) came in at $3.60 billion for the fourth quarter, exceeding analysts' expectations of $3.0 billion. The company's shares jumped more than 10% following the announcement, on track for their best daily performance since 2016. Maersk's CEO, Vincent Clerc, attributed the strong quarter to global trade's continued strength, allowing the company to deliver a very robust performance despite high microeconomic uncertainties (Reuters, 2025).

Maersk's strong performance in 2024 was driven by growth across all three of its segments: Ocean, Logistics & Services, and Terminals. The company's ability to navigate shifting circumstances and ensure steady supply chains for its customers was put to the test throughout the year, and its efforts were rewarded with record-high customer satisfaction. Maersk successfully capitalized on increased demand while enhancing productivity and rigorously managing costs, all of which contributed to its strong financial performance (Maersk, 2025).

The Ocean segment demonstrated strong performance, with EBIT increasing by 65% to USD 6.5 billion. This was driven by higher container demand and elevated freight rates, reflecting the situation in the Red Sea and strong volume demand. High utilization and cost discipline ensured that Ocean operations were streamlined and able to tackle uncertainties. Operational costs were stable year-on-year, offsetting the increased costs and additional bunker consumption of re-routing the network south of the Cape of Good Hope (Maersk, 2025).

The Logistics & Services segment demonstrated resilience in 2024, with momentum building steadily each quarter, culminating in volume growth, higher revenue, and improved EBIT margin compared to 2023. Revenue grew 7% supported by solid growth in Warehousing, Air, and First Mile product categories, while profitability benefitted from progress in most products (Maersk, 2025).

The Terminals segment delivered its best-ever financial results in 2024, with EBITDA and EBIT reaching record highs. This was driven by significant top-line growth due to strong volumes, along with inflation-offsetting tariff increases, a better customer and product mix, and higher storage revenue (Maersk, 2025).

Maersk's strategic focus on three strong businesses and integrated supply chain offerings positions the company to support customers in an era of geopolitical changes and disruptions. This focus allows Maersk to provide comprehensive, adaptable, and reliable supply chain solutions, even in the face of uncertainty and change.

As Maersk looks ahead to 2025, it expects an underlying EBITDA result of between $6 billion and $9 billion, compared with the $12.1 billion achieved last year and the $7.4 billion predicted by analysts. The company acknowledges the list of geopolitical strains on supply chains continues to expand, with uncertainty over heightened tariffs on U.S. imports, tighter export controls on critical goods, sanctions, and a renewed interest in industrial policies (Maersk, 2025).

In conclusion, Maersk's strong performance in the fourth quarter and throughout 2024 reflects the resilience of the global shipping industry amidst geopolitical uncertainties and trade disruptions. The company's ability to navigate shifting circumstances, capitalize on increased demand, and maintain high customer satisfaction positions it well to support customers in an era of geopolitical changes and disruptions. As Maersk looks ahead to 2025, investors should remain optimistic about the company's prospects, despite the uncertain macroeconomic environment.