Danish shipping conglomerate Maersk saw its shares jump more than 8% shortly after the market opened on Thursday, following a second-quarter operating profit that significantly exceeded expectations and a second upward revision to its 2026 earnings guidance this year.
The company reported second-quarter revenue of $15.76 billion, surpassing the analyst estimate of $14.1 billion. Its second-quarter earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) came in at $1.57 billion, beating expectations by $544.2 million.
Maersk raised its full-year 2026 guidance, now forecasting underlying EBITDA between $10.5 billion and $12.5 billion, up from the previous range of $8 billion to $10 billion. Underlying EBIT is now expected to be between $4.5 billion and $6.5 billion, compared to the prior forecast of $2 billion to $4 billion. The company also expects positive free cash flow for the year, a reversal from its earlier prediction of at least negative $1.5 billion.
The upgraded outlook is based on the actual second-quarter performance and improved visibility into operations for the remainder of the year. Maersk projects global container shipping market volume growth of approximately 4% for the full year 2026.