The CMA CGM Group has published its 2021 annual financial results, reporting revenues of $56 billion.
The sum shows a 78 per cent increase over the group’s 2020 financial results and was driven mainly by its shipping activities.
The company’s EBITDA came in at $23.1 billion, representing an EBITDA margin of 41.3 per cent, a 21.8-point increase compared with 2020.
Net income amounted to $17.9 billion. However, the group decided to reinvest 90 per cent of this amount into its continued development, energy transition, and employees.
Net debt came to $7.7 billion as of 31 December 2021, down $9.2 billion year-on-year, driven by a high level of free cash flow generation.
In terms of CMA CGM’s shipping activity, in 2021, volumes carried amounted to 22 million TEU, up 5 per cent over 2020 which was negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Shipping revenue was up 88.5 per cent compared with the previous year and reached $45.3 billion.
EBITDA stood at $22.1 billion compared to $5.3 billion in 2020. The group’s EBITDA margin also increased by 26.5 points to 48.7 per cent.
The logistics side of the company saw revenue grow strongly throughout 2021 to $10.9 billion, up 46.9 per cent.
EBIDTA also reached $882 million, an increase of 43.6 per cent over 2020.
Some of CMA CGM’s operational highlights from 2021 include the signing of its long-term strategic and industrial partnership with utility company ENGIE.
This collaboration aimed to support the development of a synthetic methane production and distribution industry that could be used by the shipping sector. This would also help CMA CGM achieve its goal of becoming net-zero by 2050.
Furthermore, in March 2021, the group purchased a 50 per cent stake in Total Terminal International Algeciras (TTIA) in the Port of Algeciras, Spain, as part of its global strategic investment plan.
The TTIA terminal, a multi-user facility with an annual capacity of 1.7 million TEU was inaugurated in 2010 and is the first semi-automatic terminal in the Med area.
“Driven by extremely strong demand conditions, we recorded excellent results in 2021. During this period, we have invested massively in our industrial assets (fleet of vessels, containers and aircraft, terminals, and warehouses) to support our customers in their logistics challenges,” said Rodolphe Saadé, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the CMA CGM Group.
“We have accelerated the development of our Group through strategic acquisitions. Our teams have remained mobilized and demonstrated an exceptional ability to adapt.
“In a context of persistent tensions on global logistics chains, which have been particularly challenging for SMEs, we have decided to allocate dedicated capacity on board our vessels to these SMEs in the markets where tensions are highest (Europe, North America) at a negotiated rate, usually only available with much larger volume commitments.
“In 2022, we will continue our transformation around our two pillars, transport, and logistics, and accelerate our energy transition.
“We are of course continuing to monitor the situation in Ukraine very closely. We are mobilizing to ensure the safety of our staff members on-site, and we are making our air capacity available to transport emergency humanitarian supplies to Poland, in coordination with the French authorities.”
Looking ahead, CMA CGM is closely monitoring ongoing geopolitical developments, primarily the war in Ukraine. When military action began, the group suspended all bookings to and from Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus.
Following its acquisition of Fenix Marine Services, the company expects to close its Ingram CLS and Colis Privé transactions by this summer to strengthen its logistics solutions, specifically in the e-commerce space.
The CMA CGM Group reflected on 2021 in depth in a flashback video published in December.
