K&N reported yesterday (25thApr). The YoY drop in revenue, profit and volume in the group results, and the sea and air segment are no surprises. But the sequential rebound in EBIT/GP conversion rate for Sea Logistics was exceptional given the deterioration of the container shipping market during 1Q 2023. One reason that we figure was that the drop in the freight rates in contracts between K&N and the liners may have come steeper than the drop in spot rates that K&N is selling to the market durin
K&N reported CHF688mn net profit for 22Q3, up 19% YoY but down 14% QoQ, accelerating sequential fall in earnings. We have expected the earning cycle of seafreight forwarders to move earlier than the container liners in this down cycle on the premises that spot rates, which the forwarders may rely on for the income, have declined faster than the the contract rates, which represent the bulk of forwarders' cost base. So far, K&N seafreight earnings have started to come down sequentially since 22Q2,
K&N reported CHF796mn net profit for 22Q2, up 78% YoY but down 4% QoQ, in line with the consensus estimates in the capital market. Seafreight segment contributed 55% of K&N's EBIT YTD, which was once the normal EBIT mix for K&N before 2015. K&N has more than doubled its dividend pay out during 22H1 to CHF1.2bn, comparing to 21H1's CHF0.5bn. Another CHF550mn were used in share buyback. Those distributions helped lower K&N's net cash position from CHF416mn at end of 2021 to CHF258mn at end of 22