For those who couldn’t join the panel discussion at Marine Money Week Asia on the topic of “Bigger Is Better and M&A Is The Route To Go – Will This Continue?”, please find here the valuable insights that our CFO, Samantha XU, and the other panelists shared with the audience.
The discussion explored why shipping companies are driven to grow, noting that achieving greater scale, building higher market capitalization, and creating added value are at the heart of such strategies.
Reflecting on our own journey with the Avance Gas fleet acquisition, Samantha emphasized that the key driver was to create long-term value for shareholders by putting our financial strength to use. With limited opportunities to expand through newbuildings, given the elevated asset price, we were very happy that we managed a speedy and efficient asset deal acquiring the Avance Gas fleet using our shares as a currency, in a moving market where timing and speed were critical.
The panelists were aligned that the success of any merger depends on unlocking synergies that deliver lasting value and setting up an organisation that can scale for the future. Looking ahead, they concluded that opportunities for further consolidation remain, and M&A will continue to be a powerful route to strengthen scale, resilience, and shareholder returns.
You can watch the full session here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTBAZZz_Qi0
