Middle East Conflict Opens New Shipping Opportunities for Africa

Recent spikes in armed conflict between Saudi Arabia and Yemen's Houthi rebels have led to a sharp increase in shipping stocks within the domestic market, as reported on October 14. The primary driving force behind this surge is the anticipation of benefits stemming from heightened freight rates due to anticipated disruptions in maritime transportation through the Red Sea.

As of 9:30 a.m. on the aforementioned day, HMM's stock was trading at 23,500 won on the KOSPI market, marking a 6.58% increase from the previous trading day. STX Green Logis and Pan Ocean also experienced significant gains, with their stocks rising by 6.81% and 4.43%, respectively. Hyundai Glovis joined the trend, showing strength in the 4% range.

The market's swift reaction was prompted by news of a massive airstrike launched by the Saudi-led international coalition on key Houthi military installations. Tensions in the Middle East have reached their peak, with an Aramco building fire, allegedly caused by the Houthi rebels, adding to the chaos.

The Houthis have taken control of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a crucial route for energy transportation. Coupled with Iran's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, the global supply chain bottleneck is intensifying. Analysts predicted that this situation would lead to improved earnings for shipping companies. Bae Se-ho, a researcher at iM Securities, raised Pan Ocean's target price from 8,000 won to 8,500 won, while Choi Min-gi of Shinhan Securities upgraded HMM's stock recommendation to Buy and adjusted its target price to 26,000 won.

Experts believe that shipping companies' return speed will depend significantly on the combat situation between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis, making it a core variable for future stock prices. If the conflict in the Middle East persists, the speed of shipping companies' profit improvement is expected to accelerate, accompanied by an increase in shipping asset values.