Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd reported strong second-quarter results driven by resilient demand and rising freight rates, but both carriers warned that port infrastructure is struggling to keep pace with cargo volumes. Maersk's revenue jumped 20 percent year-over-year to $15.8 billion, with freight rates increasing 22 percent to $2,746 per 40-foot container. CEO Vincent Clerc said infrastructure is "stretched to the maximum" and called landside operations "underinvested". Hapag-Lloyd's revenue rose 11 percent to $5.8 billion, with average freight rates climbing 9 percent to $1,475 per TEU. Both carriers raised their full-year earnings guidance, with Maersk now expecting EBIT of $4.5 billion to $6.5 billion. Volume increased 4.1 percent at Maersk and 3.5 percent at Hapag-Lloyd, whilst bottlenecks shift from ships to ports and terminals.

A.P. Moller-Maersk reported strong second-quarter results and raised its full-year guidance for the second time this year. Revenue rose 20% year on year to $15.8 billion, whilst operating profit almost doubled to approximately $1.6 billion, surpassing analyst expectations of roughly $700 million. The company now expects full-year underlying EBIT of $4.5 billion to $6.5 billion, up from its previous $2 billion to $4 billion range. Shares rose as much as 9%. CEO Vincent Clerc said the primary challenge is no longer ship capacity but ports, rail, trucks and inland infrastructure struggling to move containers. He noted that infrastructure has been underinvested in since the financial crisis, resulting in congestion across multiple regions pushing up spot rates.

A.P. Moller-Maersk has raised its full-year earnings outlook after reporting strong second-quarter results. Revenue climbed 20% year-on-year to $15.8 billion, whilst EBITDA reached $3.0 billion. The Copenhagen-based shipping company attributed the performance to robust Far East export demand, higher spot rates, and congestion across key trade lanes. Ocean segment revenue increased 23%, with loaded volumes rising 4.1% and average freight rates up 22%. Disruption through the Strait of Hormuz prompted cargo rerouting through alternative ports. Import demand was particularly strong in Africa, North America, and Latin America, whilst Chinese exports remained a principal source of volume growth. Maersk now expects full-year global container-market volume growth of approximately 4%.