February 5, 2026 (Bloomberg) – A.P. Moller-Maersk A/S is planning to cut jobs and focus on cost control this year as the shipping giant aims to protect its profits from declining freight rates, particularly with routes in the Red Sea reopening. As a result, their shares have decreased.
Maersk anticipates that its earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) will range from $4.5 billion to $7 billion this year, a significant drop from $9.57 billion recorded in 2025. Analysts had an average estimate of $5.76 billion.
As trading began in Copenhagen, Maersk shares fell by as much as 8.1%, marking their largest decline in three weeks.
The company's guidance for 2026 is based on a gradual reopening of the Red Sea, which will increase global vessel capacity. The container shipping industry had seen reduced capacity by 7-8% due to longer routes around Africa, which was a challenge during a time of intense competition among shipping companies.
CEO Vincent Clerc stated in an interview with Bloomberg TV, “We expect more services to start using the Red Sea again, which will increase capacity and likely create a challenging pricing environment for the shipping sector. We see many opportunities to improve our costs as we navigate this downturn in shipping.”
Maersk plans to eliminate 1,000 jobs, which is about 15% of positions in corporate functions but less than 1% of its total workforce. The company anticipates annual cost savings of $180 million, with a strong emphasis on productivity improvements, including the use of artificial intelligence, Clerc noted.
The company also predicts that global container trade will grow by 2-4% this year, and they aim to align their growth with the overall market trends.
In addition, Maersk announced it will initiate a share buy-back program of up to 6.3 billion kroner (around $1 billion) to be implemented over the next 12 months.
Brian Borsting, a credit analyst at Danske Bank A/S, remarked that Maersk’s financial outlook suggests that the lower end of their forecast should be achievable, even with the full reopening of the Red Sea.
In December, Maersk successfully completed its first passage through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait in nearly two years, following a period of reduced attacks from Yemen-based Houthis.
Shipping rates from Shanghai have dropped over 40% since their peak in June and are expected to decline further in the upcoming weeks, according to Bloomberg Intelligence. Simultaneously, the world’s five largest container lines have placed orders for vessels that will add nearly 7 million standard 20-foot containers to the global fleet over the next few years, representing about 20% of the current capacity, according to industry consultant Alphaliner.
In the fourth quarter, Maersk reported a nearly 50% drop in EBITDA, totaling $1.84 billion compared to the same period last year. Revenue also fell by almost 9%, amounting to $13.33 billion.