I've wanted to add a container shipping company to the portfolio for a while now. $ZIM (-1.2%) I would have liked to, but they are now out of the running following the takeover. I have therefore opted for $MPCC (-3.43%) even though they have become quite expensive again in the meantime.

With $WAWI (-0.84%) (Wallenius Wilhelmsen) and $TRMD A (-0.67%) (Torm) I have now mapped the ferry, tanker and container areas. Maybe I'll add bulk goods at some point.

I am aware that the whole sector is a cyclical business, which is also sensitive to customs duties, crises and political developments. Nevertheless, I believe that globalization cannot be stopped in the long term and that the need to transport bulk goods is more likely to increase than decrease.

(Image generated with Lovart.ai, modified in Photoshop)

$ZIM (-1.2%)

$ZIM (-1.2%) - Wouldn't have thought that after the rumors about a possible takeover that have been around for a few weeks, the share price would go up again like this. Not bad. Unfortunately, I only ever had them on my watchlist.

$HLAG (-0.28%)
$ZIM (-1.2%)

Hamburg - A new giant is emerging on the world's oceans. Germany's largest container shipping company Hapag-Lloyd is taking over its Israeli rival ZIM. The Hamburg-based group is putting around 3.5 billion euros on the table for the deal. This was officially announced by the company on Monday. Hapag-Lloyd is paying 35 dollars per share. The takeover will be financed entirely in cash, not via a share swap. For Hapag-Lloyd it is one of the largest acquisitions in the company's history.

A spirit of optimism for the shipping companies

During the corona years, freight rates exploded and shipping companies earned billions. Then came the crash: overcapacity, falling prices, geopolitical tensions. Many companies had to reposition themselves. Now the next phase is beginning - the big players are securing market shares and expanding their networks. ZIM, based in the Mediterranean port of Haifa, is currently the ninth largest container shipping company in the world. The company operates 145 ships, including 130 container ships and 15 vehicle carriers. Hapag-Lloyd is currently in fifth place in the global rankings. With the takeover, the Group intends not only to defend this position, but also to strategically expand it.

Together over 400 ships

Together, the two companies would have more than 400 ships. According to analysts' estimates, Hapag-Lloyd's global market share would rise from around 7 percent to just under 9 percent. This would bring the Hamburg-based group closer to its Chinese rival Cosco and consolidate its role as one of the largest players in the global container business.

Hapag-Lloyd is merging its own subsidiary in Israel with ZIM. The billion-euro purchase will be financed partly from the company's own funds and partly through loans of up to around 2.1 billion euros. The closing of the transaction is still subject to the approval of the State of Israel. Hapag-Lloyd expects the deal to be completed by the end of 2026. According to Israeli media, parts of the workforce at the ZIM headquarters in Haifa reacted to the takeover with a strike. The works council reportedly felt ignored.

Found at Bild

$WAWI (-0.84%)

Today I put 700 shares $WAWI (-0.84%) into my portfolio today. Originally I wanted to buy a larger position in the $BOAT (-0%) - ETF, but unfortunately it is probably difficult to buy this security in a regular German custody account as the ETF has not issued a fact sheet for the European market.

I am now building up a small portfolio of shipping stocks myself and will see how it develops or whether my fleet goes under.

So far I have bought:

325 x Torm ($TRMD A (-0.67%) ), tanker

750 x Wallenius Wilhelmsen ($WAWI (-0.84%)), car ferries and logistics

I would like to add the following in perspective:

Hafnia ($HAFNI (-1.39%) ), Tanker

ZIM Integrated Shipping ($ZIM (-1.2%) ), Shipping and Logistics

MPC Container Ships ($MPCC (-3.43%) ), container ships

Graphic created with lovart.ai, modified in Photoshop