Supply Chain · Profile from Supply Chain Research Companion
A.P. Moller-Maersk
The Copenhagen-based container group, founded as a Danish tramp-shipping company in 1904, that became the world's largest container carrier by buying the international business of the American container pioneer Sea-Land (1999) and P&O Nedlloyd (2005), ordered the 18,000 TEU Triple-E ships (2011), and from 2016 tried to trade the carrier's boom-and-bust for the steadier contracts of an "integrated logistics" company — selling its oil and drilling businesses, buying warehousing, air freight and US e-commerce logistics (Performance Team, Visible SCM, Pilot, LF Logistics, Senator, 2020–22), ending its 2M alliance with MSC (Jan 2025) and forming the Gemini Cooperation with Hapag-Lloyd (Feb 2025). For US shippers it is also a quietly important American operator: Maersk Line, Limited (Norfolk, Virginia) runs ~18 US-flag ships in the Maritime Security Program (MarAd list, Jan 2024), APM Terminals runs Pier 400 at Los Angeles and terminals at Elizabeth (New Jersey) and Mobile, and the ship that struck Baltimore's Key Bridge (Dali, Mar 2024) was on charter to Maersk. Its story turns on capital matched to the cycle and on reliability: 2025 revenue was ~$54.0bn, EBITDA ~$9.5bn and EBIT ~$3.5bn (company, Feb 2026), of which Ocean was still ~$35.0bn of revenue against ~$15.1bn for Logistics & Services — a decade into the pivot, the cycle still sets the year.
At a glance
- Founded
- 16 Apr 1904: Dampskibsselskabet Svendborg (Steamship Company Svendborg), founded by Arnold Peter Møller and his father Captain Peter Mærsk Møller (company history; day verify); Dampskibsselskabet af 1912 followed (1912); merged into A.P. Møller–Mærsk A/S in 2003 (verify)
- Headquarters
- Copenhagen, Denmark. US: Maersk's North American headquarters in Charlotte, North Carolina (reported, verify); Maersk Line, Limited in Norfolk, Virginia
- Ownership / structure
- Listed on Nasdaq Copenhagen (A and B shares, MAERSK A/B). Controlled by A.P. Møller Holding and the A.P. Møller Foundation (together a majority of votes, reported; verify percentages)
- Leadership (2026)
- Vincent Clerc, CEO since 1 Jan 2023 (previously CEO of Ocean & Logistics); Robert Mærsk Uggla, chair (since 2023, verify) and CEO of A.P. Møller Holding; Søren Skou CEO 2016–22 led the integrator pivot
- Segments
- Ocean (Maersk liner services; Hamburg Süd brand retired 2023, reported), Logistics & Services (contract logistics, air, first and last mile, e-commerce fulfilment, customs, forwarding — LF Logistics, Pilot, Senator, Performance Team, Visible SCM), Terminals (APM Terminals), plus Towage & Maritime Services (Svitzer demerged 2024, verify)
- Scale
- 2025: revenue ~$54.0bn (2024 ~$55.5bn), EBITDA ~$9.5bn (~$12.1bn), EBIT ~$3.5bn (~$6.5bn) (company, 5 Feb 2026). Ocean revenue ~$35.0bn (−6.5%), EBIT ~$1.4bn (−71%), Q4 2025 Ocean EBIT ~−$153m; Logistics & Services revenue ~$15.1bn, EBIT margin ~4.8% (CEO on the call; another report ~$729m EBIT); Terminals revenue ~$5.3bn (+~20%), EBIT ~$1.7bn (record; secondary, verify). Fleet ~4.75m TEU (Alphaliner Top 30 via SupplyChain247, 2026), ~13.7% of world capacity (aggregator, verify)
- 2026 guidance
- Feb 2026: underlying EBITDA $4.5–7.0bn, EBIT −$1.5bn to +$1.0bn, FCF ≥ −$3.0bn (vessel lives extended from 20 to 25 years from 1 Jan 2026, ~$700m lower depreciation); raised in Jun 2026 to EBITDA $8–10bn; raised again 13 Aug 2026 to $10.5–12.5bn, EBIT $4.5–6.5bn, FCF > 0 (company, reported). Q3 2026 results scheduled for 5 Nov 2026 (Maersk IR calendar), not available at 4 Nov 2026
- Signature moves (incl. failures)
- Founding (1904); Sea-Land (1999); P&O Nedlloyd (2005) and its painful integration; Triple-E and Daily Maersk (2011); the integrator strategy and oil exit (2016–19); NotPetya (Jun 2017, failure); the logistics buying spree (2020–22) and its weak margins; Red Sea diversions and stop-start returns (2023–26); 2M's end and Gemini (2025)
9 strategic moves analysed
Each one gets a full strategy file in the companion: context, the decision, the financing, what happened, and the lesson.
1904
Founding Steamship Company Svendborg
Founding
1999
Sea Land Acquisition
Acquisition or merger
2005
P and O Nedlloyd Acquisition
Acquisition or merger (integration failure)
2011
Triple E Order and Daily Maersk
Network build (vessel order) / pricing or service change
2016
Integrator Strategy and Oil Exit
Strategy pivot / divestment
2017
NotPetya Cyberattack
Disruption and response (failure)
2022
LF Logistics Pilot and the Logistics Buying Spree
Acquisition (mixed result)
2023
Red Sea Diversions and Returns
Disruption and response
2025
End of 2M and Gemini Cooperation
Alliance or vessel-sharing agreement