The German shipping company Hapag-Lloyd has once again revised upward its earnings forecasts for 2026, driven by developments in maritime spot freight rates and business performance in the fourth quarter, which was better than initially expected. On Wednesday, November 11, the company announced a new operating profit (EBIT) estimate of between $2.0 billion and $2.4 billion, up from the previous range of $1.25 billion to $1.75 billion.
The revision represents a 46.7% increase in the midpoint of the EBIT forecast, which rises from $1.5 billion to $2.2 billion. Hapag-Lloyd’s board of directors made the decision after assessing recent developments in the container shipping market and expectations for the final months of the financial year.
The company has also raised its forecast for earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA), which it now puts at between $4.6 billion and $5.0 billion, compared with the previously projected $3.9 billion to $4.4 billion. This change represents an approximate 15.7% increase in the midpoint of the estimate, from $4.15 billion to $4.8 billion.
In euros, Hapag-Lloyd expects to achieve EBITDA of between €4.0 billion and €4.4 billion, while EBIT is expected to range from €1.7 billion to €2.1 billion. Previous forecasts projected EBITDA of between €3.4 billion and €3.8 billion and EBIT of between €1.1 billion and €1.5 billion.
