Shipping is having a moment—and not necessarily the good kind. ZIM Integrated Shipping Services Ltd. (ZIM) just reported third-quarter numbers that tell the story of an industry navigating treacherous waters, literally and figuratively.

The Haifa-based cargo carrier posted revenue of $1.78 billion for the quarter, which sounds substantial until you realize it's down 36% from the same period last year. The company managed to edge past the consensus estimate of $1.77 billion, but the real headline is what's driving these numbers: freight rates are in free fall.

The Rate Environment Is Brutal

ZIM's average freight rate per TEU (that's a twenty-foot equivalent unit, the standard container measurement) came in at $1,602, down 35% year-over-year. Meanwhile, carried volume declined by a comparatively modest 5% to 926,000 TEUs. So the company is moving almost as much cargo as before, just getting paid a lot less for it.

That shows up everywhere in the financials. Adjusted EBITDA dropped 61% to $593 million, with margins compressing from 55% a year ago to 33% now. Earnings per share came in at $1.02, a dramatic slide from $9.34 last year—though still comfortably ahead of the 76-cent consensus estimate.

Cash and Capital Positioning

Operating cash flow for the nine-month period was $628 million, less than half the $1.5 billion generated a year earlier. Capital expenditures ticked up to $67 million in the quarter from $50 million, as the company continues investing in fleet modernization.

As of September 30, ZIM carried net debt of $2.64 billion, with a net leverage ratio of 0.9x compared to 0.8x at year-end 2024. Not terrible, but heading in the wrong direction as earnings compress.

Adapting to Chaos

"Our business resilience was evident in the third quarter, during which we delivered solid earnings while navigating a volatile rate environment, influenced by a complex geopolitical landscape, frequent changes in tariff policies and an ongoing global trade war," said CEO Eli Glickman.

He emphasized ZIM's flexibility: "With larger, more modern, cost-effective capacity, we continued to capitalize on our agile fleet deployment strategy, which enables ZIM to respond quickly to developments in market conditions, now facing downward pricing pressure. In addition to adapting our Transpacific network based on prevailing demand trends, we have diversified our geographic footprint to capture new growth opportunities."

Translation: when trade routes shift because of tariffs or geopolitical tensions, ZIM can redeploy ships faster than competitors stuck with longer-term commitments.

Glickman added: "The current market environment has been marked by disruptions and fluctuations more frequent and acute than in the past. Amidst such uncertainty, our focus remains on controlling what we can and taking proactive steps to drive sustainable and profitable growth over the long term."

Guidance and Dividends

Despite the challenging environment, ZIM actually raised its full-year outlook. The company now expects adjusted EBITDA of $2.0 billion to $2.2 billion, up from prior guidance of $1.8 billion to $2.2 billion. Adjusted EBIT guidance narrowed to $700 million to $900 million from $550 million to $950 million previously.

The Board also declared a regular quarterly dividend of 31 cents per share, payable December 8 to shareholders of record as of December 1.

ZIM shares were down 0.12% at $16.74 in recent trading.