Dismissed as a ‘Fairy Tale’: MSC Taking a Stake in Hapag-Lloyd↗
Shipping giants MSC, Maersk, and Hapag-Lloyd have swiftly shot down rumours regarding a potential equity deal. Contrary to initial reports suggesting that MSC was looking to acquire a stake in the German carrier Hapag-Lloyd, all parties have dismissed the claims as “pure speculation.” According to a report by Investing.com, both Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd declined to comment deeply on the market rumours, while MSC issued a direct denial of the market talk.
MSC firmly denied reports that its owner was preparing to bankroll another major acquisition, dismissing the story to Reuters after it originally surfaced in Germany’s Manager Magazine. Reacting to the rumours, an industry insider close to Hapag-Lloyd remarked that the takeover claims look “more like a fairy tale than a true story.”
Control of Hapag-Lloyd remains tightly held by Chilean liner operator CSAV and billionaire investor Klaus-Michael Kühne, who each own a 30% stake. Despite this entrenched ownership, Reuters reports that MSC founder Gianluigi Aponte has quietly persisted with acquisition talks with Hapag-Lloyd’s core shareholders for some time, refusing to back down even after being repeatedly brushed off.
