As the craze of earnings season draws to a close, here’s a look back at some of the most exciting (and some less so) results from Q2. Today, we are looking at marine transportation stocks, starting with Pangaea (NASDAQ: PANL).

The growth of e-commerce and global trade continues to drive demand for shipping services, presenting opportunities for marine transportation companies. While ocean freight is more fuel efficient and therefore cheaper than its air and ground counterparts, it results in slower delivery times, presenting a trade off. To improve transit speeds, the industry continues to invest in digitization to optimize fleets and routes. However, marine transportation companies are still at the whim of economic cycles. Consumer spending, for example, can greatly impact the demand for these companies’ offerings while fuel costs can influence profit margins. Geopolitical tensions can also affect access to trade routes, and if certain countries are banned from using passageways like the Panama Canal, costs can spiral out of control.

The 5 marine transportation stocks we track reported a very strong Q2. As a group, revenues beat analysts’ consensus estimates by 5.3%.

In light of this news, share prices of the companies have held steady as they are up 4.4% on average since the latest earnings results.

Pangaea (NASDAQ: PANL)

Established in 1996, Pangaea Logistics (NASDAQ: PANL) specializes in global logistics and transportation services, focusing on the shipment of dry bulk cargoes.

Pangaea reported revenues of $156.7 million, up 19.2% year on year. This print exceeded analysts’ expectations by 21.2%. Overall, it was an exceptional quarter for the company with EPS in line with analysts’ estimates and a decent beat of analysts’ EBITDA estimates.

"Our focused execution and flexible business model continued to deliver premium TCE returns during the second quarter," stated Mark Filanowski, Chief Executive Officer of Pangaea Logistics Solutions.

Pangaea scored the biggest analyst estimates beat and fastest revenue growth of the whole group. Unsurprisingly, the stock is up 15.9% since reporting and currently trades at $5.60.

Is now the time to buy Pangaea? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.

Best Q2: Matson (NYSE: MATX)

Founded by a Swedish orphan, Matson (NYSE: MATX) is a provider of ocean transportation and logistics services.

Matson reported revenues of $830.5 million, down 2% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 2.6%. The business had a stunning quarter with a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates and an impressive beat of analysts’ EBITDA estimates.

Although it had a fine quarter compared its peers, the market seems unhappy with the results as the stock is down 2% since reporting. It currently trades at $104.75.

Is now the time to buy Matson? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.

Weakest Q2: Genco (NYSE: GNK)

Headquartered in NYC, Genco (NYSE: GNK) is a shipping company that transports dry bulk cargo along worldwide maritime routes.

Genco reported revenues of $48.91 million, down 35.9% year on year, in line with analysts’ expectations. It was a slower quarter as it posted a significant miss of analysts’ EPS estimates and a slight miss of analysts’ EBITDA estimates.

Genco delivered the weakest performance against analyst estimates in the group. Interestingly, the stock is up 7.5% since the results and currently trades at $17.99.

Read our full analysis of Genco’s results here.

Kirby (NYSE: KEX)

Transporting goods along all U.S. coasts, Kirby (NYSE: KEX) provides inland and coastal marine transportation services.

Kirby reported revenues of $855.5 million, up 3.8% year on year. This number beat analysts’ expectations by 0.9%. More broadly, it was a satisfactory quarter as it also logged but .

The stock is down 26.8% since reporting and currently trades at $87.87.

Read our full, actionable report on Kirby here, it’s free.

Scorpio Tankers (NYSE: STNG)

Operating one of the youngest fleets in the industry, Scorpio Tankers (NYSE: STNG) is an international provider of marine transportation services, specializing in the shipment of refined petroleum.

Scorpio Tankers reported revenues of $222.8 million, down 40.4% year on year. This print topped analysts’ expectations by 1.7%. It was a stunning quarter as it also recorded a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates and a solid beat of analysts’ EBITDA estimates.

Scorpio Tankers had the slowest revenue growth among its peers. The stock is up 27.4% since reporting and currently trades at $57.50.

Read our full, actionable report on Scorpio Tankers here, it’s free.

Market Update

Thanks to the Fed’s rate hikes in 2022 and 2023, inflation has been on a steady path downward, easing back toward that 2% sweet spot. Fortunately (miraculously to some), all this tightening didn’t send the economy tumbling into a recession, so here we are, cautiously celebrating a soft landing. The cherry on top? Recent rate cuts (half a point in September 2024, a quarter in November) have propped up markets, especially after Trump’s November win lit a fire under major indices and sent them to all-time highs. However, there’s still plenty to ponder — tariffs, corporate tax cuts, and what 2025 might hold for the economy.

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