Vertical consolidation

MSC and Lufthansa in joint bid to take over Italy’s new ITA Airways

The vertical integration and modal mash-up continues. The Loadstar reveals today that a forwarder has started a shipping line and now a shipping line is looking at buying an airline.
MSC has told the Italian government it wants to buy a stake in the new airline, ITA Airways, which began operations in October, replacing defunct Alitalia.
And it’s doing it in partnership with Lufthansa.
As previously reported, Lufthansa has expressed an interest in …

The post MSC and Lufthansa in joint bid to take...

https://theloadstar.com/msc-and-lufthansa-in-joint-bid-to-take-over-italys-new-ita-airways/

Analysis: Mærsk – the vertical consolidation bluff

Hardly a day goes by when the risk of the ocean carriers invading the freight forwarding space, one way or another*, seems to become more real.
(*Either cutting out or simply trying to replace the middleman’s services with their own, if/when asset-light services are added to their offering mix via M&A.)
Background 
And while the narrative is the one promoted by the the most prominent container logistics integrator AP Møller-Mærsk (APMM) in May …

The post Analysis: Mærsk – the vertical...

https://theloadstar.com/analysis-maersk-the-vertical-consolidation-bluff/

Continued maritime liquidity will drive the biggest M&A deals this year

Shipping lines’ “cushy liquidity” helped double M&A deal value in the container port sector last year, with more vertical consolidation on the way in 2022.
According to a new report by Ocean Shipping Consultants (OSC), 2021’s supply chain fragility meant “most logistics companies with spot rate services yielded a solid financial performance”.
The bolstered earnings drove vertical capacity acquisition and triggered an “M&A jostle for supply chain dominance between ports and shipping …

The post Con...

https://theloadstar.com/continued-maritime-liquidity-will-drive-the-biggest-ma-deals-this-year/

Analysis: CH Robinson – done with creative cash creation. Now what?

One of the most talked about, listed and shining transport and logistics (T&L) firms in supply chain, CH Robinson (CHRW), has been on a roll lately.
Two events – announced two weeks apart in late November and early December – are representative of the Eden Prairie-based company’s financial situation.
One can be split into two capital allocation tiers (dividend and buybacks) yet each is, at least partly (you can choose whichever toy …

The post Analysis: CH Robinson – done with creative cash...

https://theloadstar.com/analysis-ch-robinson-done-with-creative-cash-creation-now-what/

On the wire: Wonder-ZIM breaks hearts as China ‘stumbles’ (and why it matters)

“ProShares plans to launch the ProShares Supply Chain Logistics ETF [exchange-traded fund], which aims to offer market participants exposure to stocks involved in the supply chain logistics space” – Seeking Alpha, 12 January 2022. 
Soft Monday coverage cannot refrain from highlighting the tremendous success story of wonder-ZIM – just as going all-in or not, attracted to a single stock or hedging supply chain exposure via a logistics basket (however small or sizeable), …

The post On the wire:...

https://theloadstar.com/on-the-wire-wonder-zim-breaks-hearts-as-china-stumbles-and-why-it-matters/

Against the odds: Bolloré Logistics – what happens to the rump after MSC takes its African bite

Those familiar with Bolloré affairs would understand that the way the French group has so far played the possible sale of its African logistics business, aka ‘BAL‘, has been flawless.
“Bolloré Group doesn’t comment on rumours in the press regarding its transportation and logistics [T&L] activities,” it said on 15 October when the first domestic reports and speculation emerged.
Without clearly identifying which T&L activities, in fact, may be the subject of …

The post Against the odds: Bolloré...

https://theloadstar.com/against-the-odds-bollore-logistics-moving-the-needle-in-top-forwarding-ma/

M&A radar: The DSV value chase – between a rock and DB Schenker

Top brass at DSV hasn’t wasted any time this year making absolutely clear, via the local press, that the Danish forwarder is open to deal-making once again. The sooner the better once the latest prey, Agility GIL, is fully integrated as early as H1 22.
That came just about a couple of weeks after compatriot AP Møller-Mærsk (APMM), smoothly yet publicly – while promoting its latest meaningful contract logistics deal – …

The post M&A radar: The DSV value chase – between a rock and DB Schenker...

https://theloadstar.com/ma-radar-the-dsv-value-chase-between-a-rock-and-db-schenker/

M&A radar: Mærsk spree… LF Logistics $3.6bn buy – ‘boisterous insanity’?

On Monday, quickly sifting through the 99,999-plus-unread-emails in my inbox (screen grab below) I thought: the M&A binge outside logistics looks so good and widespread, anyway, that something must be fundamentally broken but we’ll soon have our ‘glory days’ in supply chain.

Ohhh, if grandma was still around.
Then
Tuesday came with the MSC/BAL asset-based €5.7bn announcement and today we were incredibly pleased to find out, given the M&A news flow, that …

The post M&A radar: Mærsk spree… LF...

https://theloadstar.com/ma-radar-maersk-spree-lf-logistics-3-6bn-buy-boisterous-insanity/

Market Insight: Pre-Christmas (M&A) supper with MSC, Mærsk & Bolloré

Hustle and bustle.
Welcome to the Forward Logistics Matrix age, the most exciting era in the most exciting sector – made up of several very complex subsets – in the world, where the next move in the M&A domino game will be totally detached from the mainstream/trade headlines.
And where subtle equilibrium-damaging forces in the supply chain, as we knew it, are at play.
Rewind 
You may recall our previous “Foaming liquid lunch – ‘MSC …

The post Market Insight: Pre-Christmas (M&A) supper with MSC,...

https://theloadstar.com/market-insight-pre-christmas-ma-supper-with-msc-maersk-bollore/

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