Last year was a positive one for the Hamburg-based shipping company Ernst Russ. Turnover fell slightly, but the result was all the better.
“2025 was a year of fundamental shifts: transatlantic alliances came under pressure, trade conflicts intensified and geopolitical tensions – including military events in the Middle East – shaped the operating environment,” the shipping company announced on the occasion of the final annual figures. Ernst Russ had previously issued a forecast, which has now been confirmed. The company has “proven the resilience of its business model”, is planning a growth course for the coming years and has a “determined view of the next phase of the company’s development”.
The focus of this development is on several shipping segments and long-term charter contracts in order to create sustainable returns. One example of this are the two new container ships that the company bought into the fleet last year. Both have long-term ten-year charter contracts. At the beginning of 2026, the ER Group continued on this course with the acquisition of two MPP ships, each of which is chartered out for seven years. “The further expansion of the diversified fleet is an integral part of the communicated corporate strategy,” the shipping company announced.
The net assets, financial position and results of operations of the ER Group developed “positively as expected” in the 2025 financial year. The equity ratio amounted to 79.1% and liquidity at the end of the year was € 114.3 million. This puts the company in a position to act “selectively and decisively”. In 2025, the fleet was optimized to 25 ships and the charter backlog was significantly expanded. The deliberate portfolio design to improve the quality, predictability and capital market viability of the fleet increased the average remaining term of charter contracts by 12.3 months to 26 months, with a charter backlog of € 448.6 million.
EBIT increases by more than 40%
The ER Group’s revenue forecast has been confirmed and stands at € 158.1 million. Compared to the previous year (€ 172.7 million), this represents a decrease of 8.5%. At the same time, however, EBIT rose from € 67.7 million to € 96.4 million, an increase of 42.4%. Consolidated net profit after non-controlling interests rose from € 42.5 million to € 73.5 million, an increase of 72.9%. The ER Group’s fleet generated average charter income of USD 18,135 per day in the 2025 financial year with an employment rate of 97.7%.
For the full year 2026, the ER Group expects revenue in a range of € 145 million to € 160 million and an operating result (EBIT) of between € 34 million and € 44 million. The Executive Board and Supervisory Board will propose a dividend of € 0.25 per share for 2025 at the Annual General Meeting, the shipping company announced.
“Our solid equity base and strong liquidity give us the opportunity to make targeted and selective investments,” said Christoper Eilers, Co-CEO and CFO of Ernst Russ AG. “The growing interest from investors and analysts shows that our new strategic direction is being well received on the capital market.”
“With the expansion of our presence in the multipurpose segment at the beginning of 2026, we are consistently implementing our strategy: a diversified fleet, long-term employment and disciplined capital allocation – geared towards sustainable returns for our investors,” added Joseph Schuchmann, Co-CEO and CCO of the company.
