Cosco losses could lead to charter renegotiation in the containership sector

Macquarie Capital analyst, Janet Lewis, predicts that Cosco might continue in losses for two years or more. Cosco’s container wing, which was also loss-making in the first half, is set to take delivery of 28 new vessels in the near future. Will Cosco follow suit with containership owners to renegotiate down charter rates as they have done in the dry bulk sector?

There is considerable evidence that financial results in the containership sector are weakening this year. After the restocking boom last year in fight for market share, Maersk (OMX: MAERSKB) announced aggressive new building program for ever larger containership vessels in their on-going efforts to expand market share at the expense of peer companies.

Seaspan (NYSE: SSW), which has a pure vessel provider model and investor darling, followed suit with a new building program of their own. This group held on to all their new building contracts booked prior the 2008 meltdown, managed to cover their capex needs and take delivery. They turned heavily to Cosco (Coscon) and CSCL for employment. Seaspan is inordinately dependent on Cosco as their largest liner company customer relationship (in the order of 50% or more of their fleet from recent investor presentations).

Should Cosco be obliged to refuse delivery of new units or renegotiate existing time charter for lower rates, this would have a profound effect on Seaspan’s fortunes as well as other containership companies, who service their needs.

Seaspan shares have been falling in value since April. They have never fully recovered in share value from their pre-2008 levels.