ZIM Reports Financial Results for the Fourth Quarter and the Full Year of 2024

Core Insights - ZIM Integrated Shipping Services Ltd. reported full year revenues of $8.43 billion and net income of $2.15 billion for 2024, marking significant recovery from a net loss of $2.69 billion in 2023 [1][4][12] - The company achieved a 14% volume growth in 2024, with a record carried volume of 982 thousand TEUs in Q4 2024, representing the third consecutive quarter of record carried volume [1][3][11] - ZIM declared a Q4 2024 dividend of approximately $382 million, or $3.17 per share, totaling $961 million in dividends for the year, which is about 45% of the full year net income [1][16] Financial Performance - Q4 2024 net income was $563 million, a turnaround from a net loss of $147 million in Q4 2023, with diluted earnings per share of $4.66 compared to a loss per share of $1.23 in the previous year [4][8][37] - Adjusted EBITDA for Q4 2024 was $967 million, a 409% increase year-over-year, while full year adjusted EBITDA reached $3.69 billion, up 252% from 2023 [4][9][13] - Operating income for Q4 2024 was $658 million, compared to an operating loss of $54 million in Q4 2023, and full year operating income was $2.53 billion, a significant recovery from a loss of $2.51 billion in 2023 [4][12][37] Operational Highlights - The average freight rate per TEU in Q4 2024 was $1,886, a 71% increase year-over-year, while the full year average freight rate was $1,888, up 57% from 2023 [4][11][12] - The company’s net leverage ratio improved to 0.8x as of December 31, 2024, down from 2.2x at the end of 2023, with net debt increasing to $2.88 billion from $2.31 billion [4][15][33] Future Outlook - For 2025, ZIM expects adjusted EBITDA to be between $1.6 billion and $2.2 billion, and adjusted EBIT to range from $350 million to $950 million, assuming trade conditions in the Red Sea do not normalize until the second half of the year [1][19][3] - The company enters 2025 with a more resilient business model and modern fleet, with 40% of its capacity being LNG-fueled, positioning it well for future challenges [3][19]