Clarksons hails 'excellent' start to year as maritime rates rise

(Sharecast News) - Clarksons said on Thursday it had an "excellent start" to 2026, helped by good market fundamentals and increasing demand for industry expertise despite geopolitical uncertainty.

The company, which provides maritime consultancy and shipping services, said it was mindful that the situation in the Middle East is constantly evolving and could impact trading dynamics, but it the current momentum has "enhanced the board's confidence in its expectations for the year".

"Our recent acquisitions of Link, Serpac and Zuma highlight our continued focus on expanding and enhancing the business and we remain well positioned to take advantage of further opportunities in a trading environment that continues to support growth," the firm said.

While the Middle East conflict has increased "complexity" across the global shipping industry, it has pushed up rates in certain areas of each of Clarksons' businesses.

The Broking division performed particularly strongly, with revenues and profits "materially ahead of the same period last year" on the back of elevated chartering rates and asset prices.

The Financial and Research divisions had also performed well. However, the Support division faced more challenging trading conditions on the back of UK government policy on new oil and gas development and delays to offshore energy projects.

Clarkson PLC shares were down 1.5% at 4,890p by 1431 BST, after having surged over 30% so far this year.

Clarkson