Wisdom Marine Lines returned to profitability in March as dry bulk shipping rates rebounded, with the Taiwanese vessel operator posting a pre-tax earnings per share of NT$0.04 (US$0.0013) after recording losses in February. Despite this improvement, the company reported a first-quarter pre-tax loss of NT$0.23 (US$0.0073) per share as the industry faces persistent challenges.
The company’s board approved a cash dividend of NT$4.5 (US$0.14) per share, representing a 7.14% yield based on its April 7 closing price of NT$63. This distribution reflects a 55.7% payout ratio from 2024’s earnings of NT$8.08 per share, underscoring management’s commitment to shareholder returns amid market volatility.
March revenue reached NT$1.28 billion (US$40.5 million), a 30.65% increase from February but still down 26.3% year-over-year. The company attributed the improvement to rising bulk shipping rates since late February and anticipated demand from South America’s upcoming grain harvest season.
Looking ahead, Wisdom maintains a cautiously optimistic outlook, citing favorable supply-demand dynamics due to low newbuild deliveries expected in 2025-2026. However, the company acknowledges significant uncertainty from geopolitical tensions, including the Russia-Ukraine conflict and evolving U.S. trade policies.
Wisdom also announced plans to dispose of two aging vessels—one ultramax and one handysize—to optimize fleet efficiency.
