Shipping Corporation’s FY26 profit falls 5pc, but growth returns in Q1 with new vessels

Bangladesh Shipping Corporation (BSC) reported a 5 percent year-on-year decline in profit for FY26, dropping to Tk 2.91 billion. This decrease was attributed to the absence of the previous year's one-off income and a significant drop in interest income from bank deposits. BSC's primary revenue source is freight and shipping services, with additional non-operating income from interest earnings on bank deposits.

The corporation saw a substantial capital gain from selling two damaged oil tankers, MT Banglar Jyoti and MT Banglar Sourabh, in FY25, which contributed to higher earnings that year.

In Q1 of FY27, BSC returned to profit growth, buoyed by revenue generated by two newly acquired vessels, Banglar Progoti and Banglar Nobojatra. The Corporation purchased the two bulk carriers from a US-based firm in September 2025 for $76.7 million (around Tk 9.35 billion). While these acquisitions have yet to fully materialize in terms of revenue, they are expected to bolster BSC's long-term earnings capacity.

The company withdrew approximately Tk 7 billion from its fixed deposit receipts (FDRs) to finance the vessel purchases, leading to a reduction in short-term bank deposits from Tk 16.02 billion in June 2025 to Tk 10.93 billion in June 2026.

Despite the profit decline, BSC declared a 25 percent cash dividend for FY26, unchanged from the previous year. Shareholders are set to receive Tk 2.5 per share of Tk 10 face value, representing roughly 13 percent of earnings per share. BSC's net operating cash flow per share doubled to Tk 25.40 in FY26 from Tk 11.96 in the prior year.

The corporation's share price on the Dhaka Stock Exchange closed at Tk 101.20 on Sunday, up 0.20 percent from the previous session. The annual general meeting (AGM) date will be announced later, with the record date set for December 15.