Is the container sector really out of the woods yet?

Investors have been euphoric over the rate increases in transpacific annual contracts. The container sector attracts keen investor interest due the long term employment with large liner companies like Maersk (OMX: MAERSKB) considered too big to fail. As a result, the sector has been plagued by huge order book overcapacity. The demand driver is the proverbial Chinese export machine. Yet container earnings may be peaking, given slowing US consumption, high retail inventory and Europe’s financial woes.

The global financial crisis hit Maersk and other liner operators very hard. They had aggressively ordered new tonnage as well as chartered in vessels from non-operating owners like Seaspan and Danaos , who had order books as large as their existing fleets. 

Maersk sank to a loss of US $1.02 bn in the historically low rate environment of 2009, overturning a profit of US $3.46 bn a year earlier. The liner operation fell to a $2.09 bn loss for the full-year as income from its containerships collapsed by nearly 30%. Aside from the container losses, Maersk also made a dreadful timing mistake in acquiring the Broström tanker fleet at top of the market prices shortly before the 2008 meltdown.

In this difficult environment, the liner companies fought back earlier this year by slow-steaming to try artificially to reinflate demand and reduce their losses from the dramatic drop in cargo volume. Industry consultants AXS Alphaliner estimate 78% and 53% the Asia-Europe and Transpacific routes strings are still running in slow steaming mode currently. Maersk also became a leader in cost cutting.

During 2010, the container shipping market was been positively affected by growing demand, primarily due to inventory restocking in the US and Europe and, to a lesser extent, growing consumer demand. Growth was seen mainly on the head haul routes and Intra Asia, which increased by 18% and 70%, respectively. Average rates in the first quarter were $2,863 per FFE, up by 18% compared to the same period of 2009 as a result of improved market conditions and higher bunker surcharges.

Maersk banked US $639 mio in the first quarter, overturning last year’s US $ 372 mio loss and smashing the US$ 225 mio consensus among analysts.

Citigroup analyst Ally Ma feels that the return to profitability for many lines may mark the beginning of renewed capacity woes as they begin taking delivery of deferred new building orders placed prior to the global financial crisis, against a backdrop of weakening demand. She reckons that the 3rd quarter rate hikes may indicate that container earnings are peaking, given slowing US consumption, high retail inventory and Europe’s financial woes.

Most new building deliveries to date are directly being employed in strings running on slow steaming effectively dampening the supply growth. The German KG market has for the past decade been a major asset provider to the container operators, owning the vessels and chartering out to the liner companies. KG participants are still facing insolvency issues and despite the recent market surge in charter rates, payments are insufficient to cover the payment of interest and principal in 2010 and 2011.

Non-Operating owners to continue facing financing issues as bank credit remains tight. Danaos Shipping (DAC) announced cancellation of three new buildings of 6,500 TEU which were ordered at Hanjin Heavy Industries and initially expected to be delivered in the first half of 2012. Seaspan (SSW) in a filing to the stock exchange stated funding shortfall for its remaining capex commitments and hinted at further cancellations on the cards.

The future of the container industry hinges on the quality of the economic recovery ahead. The US recovery seems to be slowing down and the EU is facing a serious sovereign debt crisis where austerity measures in Southern European countries are likely to dampen severely demand.

The temptation to buy speculatively container tonnage today has led to a rise in asset prices as each new deal brings new highs. Indicatively, Metrostar is said to have shelled out some US $180 mio to buy five 10-year-old 3,500-teu ships from German owner Claus-Peter Offen. This is double what the vessels might have fetched at the start of the year.

This is driven by the expectation that container rates will soon regain historic norms and present rates are closer to 50% of this level leaving room for improvement. Yet this counter-cyclical investment could prove self defeating in dealing with the overcapacity should the recover stall and we face a longer period of sluggish growth as opposed to the forecasts of politicians and pundits.