NOL Management Changes Causes Shares Rally
Shares of shipping and logistics group Neptune Orient Lines Ltd. (NOL) surged almost 10 percent last Tuesday on optimism over recent management changes, dealers said. "We are buying on the back of increasing confidence in the market, higher assurance that the Fed will not be doing anything drastic and hope that NOL's new management would bring positive changes," said one dealer. In late September, NOL announced the hiring of more senior executives from Sea-Land Services as senior officials for its container transportation arm, APL, including Fleming Jacobs as the new chief executive officer. The moves were seen as positive and reinforced the shipping group's commitment to grow its European and North American presence.
Improving Rates May Help Shippers Cope With Fuel Costs
Shipowners are now better placed to cope with soaring fuel prices because of growth in trade as Asia recovers from economic crisis, industry sources and analysts said. The price of bunker fuel, which typically makes up about five percent of a shipper's total operating costs, has - over the past six months - doubled to $140 per ton. The spoils from improved conditions have not been evenly shared within the industry, with tanker owners hit the worst. Three global-pacts among oil producers to cut output and shore up prices have had a negative impact on tanker owners who now face higher bunker costs and lower shipping volumes. The producers agreed to remove from world oil production about 5.1 million bpd of crude oil…
