Danish shipping and oil group A.P. Moller-Maersk says it saw its first-quarter underlying profit increase by 18 per cent to $1.3 billion, impacted by an after-tax gain from the sale of shares in Denmark's largest bank, but revenues dropped due to low oil prices and low economic growth.
The Copenhagen-based group said Wednesday that revenue in the three-month period decreased by 10 per cent or $1.2 billion, and came in at $10.5 billion.
CEO Nils S. Andersen said performance was mainly driven by its shipping activities while Maersk Oil and APM Terminals "were impacted by lower oil prices and lower volumes in oil-dependent markets."
The full-year result was expected at around $4 billion, he said.
Maersk shares dropped 0.8 per cent to 13,560 kroner in morning trading in Copenhagen.
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