Clerc says that Maersk has suffered “serious attacks” in the Red Sea and that there is no clarity over the costs accumulated from said disruptions. Adding that he expects a continued shipping diversion from the Red Sea “for a while”. As for Q4 earnings, the firm reported a miss on forecasts in terms of profit while the Red Sea crisis poses a big uncertainty to 2024 earnings.
In the bigger picture, the continued disruption in the Red Sea is a key issue that could lead to more persistent inflation this year. For now, the impact is not too significant just yet. However, if it carries on for much longer, expect that to start making its way through to price pressures later in the year.