On the evening of August 28, COSCO SHIPPING Development (601866.SH / 02866.HK, the “Company”) released its 2026 interim report. In the first half of 2026, the Company reported operating revenue of RMB 13.619 billion, up 11.10% year over year. Net profit attributable to shareholders reached RMB 1.000 billion, up 3.09% year over year, with basic earnings per share of RMB 0.0761. The Company declared a 2026 interim dividend of RMB 0.22 per 10 shares (tax inclusive), further strengthening shareholder returns and demonstrating confidence in its long-term development.
Industry-Finance Collaboration Builds Momentum as Core Businesses Deliver Resilient Growth
In the first half of 2026, global supply chains continued to undergo rapid restructuring, creating both opportunities and challenges for the shipping industry. Guided by its strategic focus on shipping industry-finance integration, COSCO SHIPPING Development continued to expand new avenues for value creation and maintained steady progress across its core businesses.
The container manufacturing business strengthened its foundation and improved product quality. In the first half of the year, the segment generated operating revenue of RMB 11.217 billion, up 2.32% year over year, while container sales reached 958,600 TEUs, an increase of 13.35% year over year. The Company continued to optimize its product mix, with high-value-added specialized products—including energy storage containers, modular housing containers, Ro-Ro trailers, and planting containers—contributing to growth. Sales of specialized containers increased 117.31% year over year. At the same time, lean management delivered tangible results by reducing per-container costs, while early investments in green and intelligent manufacturing further strengthened the Company’s position as an industry benchmark and enhanced its resilience.
The shipping leasing business continued to improve operational efficiency. In the first half of the year, the segment generated operating revenue of RMB 962 million. A total of 10 vessels were delivered during the period, including seven 80,000 DWT multipurpose grain carriers, two 64,000 DWT bulk carriers, and one 62,000 DWT heavy-lift vessel, with economic benefits gradually being realized. Construction progressed steadily on 12 210,000 DWT bulk carriers, 20 87,000 DWT bulk carriers, and two 64,000 DWT bulk carriers. The Company currently manages a fleet of more than 240 vessels spanning dry bulk, energy, container, and specialized vessel types. It is also proactively developing clean-fuel-ready vessels to further strengthen its competitive advantages.
The container leasing business continued to expand its global footprint. In the first half of the year, the segment generated operating revenue of RMB 2.741 billion, up 5.17% year over year. The Company continued to advance its global strategy by expanding into emerging Belt and Road markets, strengthening its regional network across the Americas, Africa, and Eastern Europe, and gaining momentum in new-container leasing tenders. It also explored new applications for logistics equipment such as tank containers, strengthened connections across the “shipping support + collaborative marketing” value chain, and enhanced its integrated service capabilities across the full container value chain.
The investment management segment also continued to optimize its asset structure, closely monitor the transformation and upgrading of the shipping industry, and explore new value-creation opportunities in strategic emerging industries.
Digital Intelligence and Technological Innovation Create a New Growth Engine
The Company continued to strengthen its “Technology+” system, making technological innovation a core driver of transformation and upgrading. It advanced intelligent manufacturing and digital operations in parallel while accelerating the development of new quality productive forces in the shipping industry-finance sector. Intelligent manufacturing capabilities reached a new level, with automation and large-scale deployment continuing to advance. More than 1,200 industrial robots are now deployed across the Company’s operations, steadily improving production efficiency. Ningbo Container Factory became the first enterprise in the container industry to obtain Level 4 certification under the Intelligent Manufacturing Capability Maturity Model (CMMM), while Jinzhou Container Factory was named a benchmark enterprise for intelligent and digital transformation in Liaoning Province. Meanwhile, intelligent manufacturing achievements from several container factories received national awards for equipment management and technological innovation. Digital innovation continued to support smarter operations. The container manufacturing business deepened the integration of digital technologies and intelligent manufacturing and developed smart production applications. The container leasing business upgraded the iFlorens digital operations platform and developed digital models for used-container pricing and intelligent one-way repositioning. The shipping leasing business implemented an integrated digital-intelligence system supporting business and financial operations while advancing digital applications such as ship-management evaluations and crew databases. The Company also continued to foster a culture of technological innovation, identifying more than 70 intelligent application scenarios and establishing an end-to-end digital empowerment system.
Green and Low-Carbon Transformation Deepens, Strengthening Sustainable Advantages
The Company continued to develop a comprehensive green ecosystem for shipping industry-finance and became the first in the industry to achieve full coverage of “National Green Factories.” It developed the ECO-CON green container brand, launched new “Pioneer-Level” green dry and refrigerated containers, and has delivered nearly 1 million TEUs of green containers in total. The Company also promoted mutual recognition of data between the CFP & EPD platform and the industry’s public low-carbon platform. Together with industry partners, it issued China’s first Hi-ECO E-vessel certificate, helping standardize, quantify, and track green transportation services for electric vessels. The Company continued to expand its green financing channels, providing long-term, stable funding to support business development and further strengthening the foundation for sustainable growth.
Staying Focused on Value Sharing and Strengthening Market Confidence
The Company remained committed to creating value and continued to implement initiatives to improve quality and efficiency while increasing shareholder returns. It continued to deliver shareholder value through stable, sustained dividends and A+H share repurchases, demonstrating confidence in its long-term development. The Company completed payment of its 2025 final dividend, bringing total dividends for 2025 to RMB 0.37 per 10 shares and total cash dividends to approximately RMB 487 million, marking the eighth consecutive year of cash dividend distributions. The Company also continued to advance its strategy of making multiple dividend distributions each year, with the 2026 interim dividend set at RMB 0.22 per 10 shares. The Company completed its third round of A+H share repurchases and canceled the repurchased shares. A total of 65.5991 million shares were repurchased for approximately RMB 137 million, demonstrating through concrete action its commitment to protecting investor interests and strengthening market confidence. The Company’s sustainable development performance also continued to improve. Building on its long-established ESG governance practices, it received Wind ESG’s highest industry rating of AA, won the Investor Relations Management Tianma Award for Hong Kong-listed Companies at the 17th Securities Times Tianma Awards, and was included in the S&P Global Sustainability Yearbook (China Edition) for the fourth consecutive year. The Company further strengthened its social responsibility efforts by supporting projects including a “Youth Home and Livestreaming Hub for Agricultural Assistance” in Anhua County, Hunan, and a modular container-based campus support project in Yongde County, Yunnan. Through these initiatives, the Company has contributed to livelihood improvement and rural development while promoting coordinated economic, environmental, and social value.
At this pivotal stage of consolidating past progress and building momentum for the future, COSCO SHIPPING Development will chart its course under the “15th Five-Year Plan,” upgrade its industrial ecosystem through industry-finance collaboration, drive organic growth through technological innovation, strengthen its benchmark position in shipping industry-finance through value creation, and reinforce investor confidence through sustainable returns as it moves steadily into the next stage of development.
