HHLA Raises Annual Forecast for the Current Financial Year

The Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG (HHLA) raises its annual forecast for the current financial year based on the preliminary and unaudited business figures for the first nine months. Given the continuing volatile environmental conditions, the outlook remains fraught with significant uncertainties.

(Hamburg) Despite global challenges such as the ongoing economic weakness in Germany, the military conflict in the Middle East with its impacts on shipping routes, and the war in Ukraine, HHLA recorded a positive business development in the first nine months of 2024. This was primarily due to a strong increase in transport volumes as well as an overall strong revenue and earnings development in the third quarter in the port logistics segment.

In this context, for the financial year 2024, a slight increase in container handling compared to the previous year (previously: moderate increase) is now expected in the port logistics segment, along with an unchanged significant increase in container transport. Revenue is now expected to see a strong increase (previously: significant increase). This is mainly due to an increase in revenue from rail transport. In light of a higher revenue level due to temporarily longer dwell times of containers at the Hamburg terminals, the expectation for operating profit (EBIT) has also been raised and now lies in the range of 110 to 130 million euros (previously: in the range of 70 to 100 million euros). Within this range, a strong increase in the respective segment EBIT is expected compared to the previous year in both the container segment and the intermodal segment.

For the real estate segment, unchanged revenue development and operating profit (EBIT) at the previous year’s level are expected. Overall, a significant increase in revenue is still expected at the group level. The operating profit (EBIT) is now expected to be in a range of 125 to 145 million euros (previously: in the range of 85 to 115 million euros).

Investments at the Lower End

Due to timing shifts in the implementation of investment projects mainly in the real estate segment and in the intermodal segment due to exogenous factors, investments at the group level are now expected to be at the lower end of the range of 325 to 375 million euros (previously: 400 to 450 million euros). Of this, the substantial part of 300 to 350 million euros is attributed to the port logistics segment (previously: 360 to 410 million euros).

Photo: © HHLA