Japanese shipping group Mitsui O.S.K. Lines has raised its consolidated ordinary profit forecast for the year ending 31 March 2027 by 55.2% after dry bulk, energy and chemical logistics markets outperformed its assumptions, according to Mitsui O.S.K. Lines.
The company, led by president and chief executive Jotaro Tamura, now expects ordinary profit of ¥225bn ($1.43bn), up ¥80bn ($507m) from the ¥145bn ($919m) forecast issued on 30 April. The revised figure would also exceed the ¥175.84bn ($1.11bn) recorded in the year ended March 2026.
MOL lifted its revenue forecast by 9.3% to ¥2.23trn ($14.14bn) from ¥2.04trn ($12.93bn), while projected operating profit rose 28.6% to ¥135bn ($856m) from ¥105bn ($666m). Profit attributable to owners of the parent is expected to reach ¥240bn ($1.52bn), 41.2% above the previous ¥170bn ($1.08bn) estimate. Forecast earnings per share increased to ¥698.27 ($4.43) from ¥494.77 ($3.14).
The revision reflects stronger-than-assumed conditions in dry bulk, energy and chemical logistics. MOL also expects Ocean Network Express to beat its previous forecast amid firm container shipping markets.
For the first half ending 30 September, MOL raised its ordinary profit forecast by 147.1% to ¥126bn ($799m) from ¥51bn ($323m) and lifted projected attributable net profit by 77.9% to ¥137bn ($869m). Revenue is forecast at ¥1.235trn ($7.83bn), up from ¥1.1trn ($6.97bn), while operating profit is expected at ¥65bn ($412m), against ¥45bn ($285m) previously.
The guidance upgrade was issued on 3 August, four days before MOL’s scheduled first-quarter results.
Mitsui O.S.K. Lines is a Japanese transport and infrastructure group headquartered in Tokyo. At 31 March 2026, it operated 930 vessels through 611 group companies and employed 11,567 people across dry bulk, tanker, LNG and ethane carrier, car carrier, chemical logistics, terminal, ferry, cruise and offshore operations.