Pricing power and valuation discount drive logistics returns in the future Pricing power and valuation discount drive logistics returns in the future Pricing power and valuation discount drive logistics returns in the future

Pricing power and valuation discount drive logistics returns in the future

Equities 8 minutes to read
Peter Garnry

Chief Investment Strategist

Summary:  The global logistics industry is an interesting theme for long-term investors as it plays into more global trade, much bigger e-commerce market, and pricing power of logistics services due to network effects and complexity. We are long-term positive on the industry, and believe consolidation and price power combined with attractive equity valuations will drive outperformance compared to global equities.


Last year we wrote about the global logistics industry and how it has generated outperformance relative to the broader equity market. It has done so by more efficient logistics networks, pricing power, rapid growth of e-commerce, and increased complexity. The logistics industry is a window into the current inflationary period driven by massive fiscal stimulus and household income growth driving inflationary pressures in commodities.

Today we are launching our 15th equity theme basket providing a diversified exposure to the global logistics industry - you can find the basket on the SaxoTrader here. It is the biggest basket we have done to date, as the industry is very large and complex, consisting of 50 stocks across a wide range of logistics services from sea, land, integrated, application systems and storage/warehouses. The basket represents $1.35trn in market value and an industry that grew earnings 16% over the past year, and the stocks have been selected based on highest market value within the different sub-categories. We have excluded passenger transportation and focused instead of logistics of consumer goods and industrial products such as crude oil and liquified natural gas (LNG).

NameCategoryMkt Cap (USD mn.)Sales growth (%)EBITDA growth (%)Diff to PT (%)5yr return
United Parcel Service IncIntegrated186,81619.422.8-1.3143.1
Union Pacific CorpLand149,289-10.4-9.76.9195.8
Prologis IncStorage87,17230.335.35.4182.9
Deutsche Post AGIntegrated84,45610.638.24.4148.0
FedEx CorpIntegrated83,53213.01.04.8102.8
CSX CorpLand75,831-10.5-10.55.2307.5
Norfolk Southern CorpLand70,293-11.5-4.64.4272.8
DSV PANALPINA A/SIntegrated54,27719.840.8-0.7397.2
Canadian Pacific Railway LtdLand54,188-5.5-4.21.3199.2
AP Moller - Maersk A/SSea52,3939.581.60.1146.3
SF Holding Co LtdIntegrated49,71334.0NA22.6290.6
Kuehne + Nagel International AGIntegrated40,5643.514.5-23.7154.7
COSCO SHIPPING Holdings Co LtdSea37,90931.5NA10.1503.7
Hapag-Lloyd AGSea35,8744.791.5-25.6802.2
JD Logistics IncIntegrated32,61347.2184.5NANA
Goodman GroupStorage27,76234.9NA2.0216.8
Expeditors International of Washington IncIntegrated21,22743.651.4-12.0176.7
JB Hunt Transport Services IncLand18,1276.6-20.52.9119.3
Segro PLCStorage17,761-0.270.11.3191.6
XPO Logistics IncLand16,4144.7-36.76.1419.7
CH Robinson Worldwide IncIntegrated12,90312.012.04.847.0
InPost SAServices9,998104.4184.026.3NA
SITC International Holdings Co LtdSea9,5908.540.036.8782.9
TFI International IncLand8,9471.2-25.60.8437.3
Orient Overseas International LtdSea8,88419.194.965.1482.0
Manhattan Associates IncServices8,651-5.51.17.9102.3
Nippon Express Co LtdIntegrated7,677-0.118.01.3115.2
Nippon Yusen KKSea7,001-3.619.38.5151.8
Mapletree Logistics TrustStorage6,44714.313.36.2169.6
Qingdao Port International Co LtdServices5,97419.0NA57.044.4
Koninklijke Vopak NVStorage5,972-5.0-28.319.1-6.4
Mainfreight LtdLand5,54914.557.23.4400.0
Kerry Logistics Network LtdIntegrated5,39029.7-7.5-0.6142.7
Liaoning Port Co LtdServices5,2823.0NANA-35.8
Aurizon Holdings LtdLand5,1531.5-4.028.111.7
Descartes Systems Group Inc/TheServices4,9477.016.017.1160.1
Sinotrans LtdIntegrated4,79127.6NA8.332.4
Qube Holdings LtdIntegrated4,4390.8-10.711.359.7
Ryder System IncServices4,406-4.84.78.642.0
COSCO SHIPPING Energy Transportation Co LtdSea3,9299.2NA31.7-16.9
Hitachi Transport System LtdLand3,557-3.06.97.7106.9
SPS Commerce IncServices3,36614.720.233.5228.2
Mitsubishi Logistics CorpServices2,647-6.70.61.521.3
Euronav NVSea2,110-16.9-24.924.417.6
Golden Ocean Group Ltd (*)Sea2,019-12.4151.418.9198.9
Star Bulk Carriers CorpSea1,988-10.221.047.2419.2
Kintetsu World Express IncIntegrated1,62811.936.438.896.1
Golar LNG LtdStorage1,396-3.365.640.3-19.2
Teekay LNG Partners LPSea1,3542.14.411.149.5
Echo Global Logistics IncServices91025.617.17.448.8
Aggregate / median1,353,1136.816.07.2149.9

Source: Bloomberg and Saxo Group
* Peter Garnry has holdings in these companies

Complexity and pricing power drive shareholder returns

According to industry surveys the global market for logistics services will hit €500bn in 2024 driven by rapid expansion in e-commerce, which has seen outrageous growth during the global pandemic. Logistics costs are estimated to be around 15% of revenue and thus the accelerating in container freight rates and last-mile delivery is adding cost pressures on retailers and forcing them to increase prices and thereby adding to inflationary pressures. The share of logistics costs has remained quite stable around 15% of revenue despite large investments in automation, improved networks, and computer systems, indicating that the industry is solving a very complex problem. However, it is the complexity of logistics that is providing these logistics firm with a pricing power that ultimately drives good profitability and returns for shareholders.

Our logistics basket has rallied 122% from the end of March 2020 easily outpacing the MSCI World and this year the basket is up 28% making it the best regular equity theme outside of high volatility crypto & blockchain basket. With personal income up more than 16% over the past year in the US there is enough momentum among US households to keep the consumption spree going and we expect the underlying demand for logistics services to be strong. In terms of equity valuations, the basket is not expensive relative to the MSCI World with the basket valued at 12-month forward P/E of 14x vs 20.2 for the MSCI World.

We expect e-commerce to remain strong and cross-border logistics of e-commerce packages will continue to be the most important area of growth for these companies. While the smaller logistics firms have some niche positions in the market, we believe the biggest value creation will take place among the largest logistics companies because the value of an efficient global logistics network will go up dramatically. Companies are willing to pay a premium for that service. We also believe mergers and acquisitions will continue in this industry as it is still quite fragmented and that those mergers will drive more efficiencies and more pricing power, which eventually is bad for companies and overall inflation.

Key risks: higher fuel costs and e-commerce slowdown

The key risks to this portfolio are fuel costs and a slowdown in e-commerce spending. Brent Crude futures for August 2021 just hit $71/brl today indicating a lot of pressure on energy prices and fuel costs. This is risk to logistics firms and the degree of risk depends on how much they can pass on to their customers. E-commerce hangover has been a topic ever since 8 November 2020 when the world got the vaccine news, but so far, the revenue growth is still high, but an eventual full opening of physical stores and restoring of old habits could dent growth in e-commerce. Higher interest rates could also put pressure on profits at logistics companies and their equity valuations because these companies invest a lot of capital in physical assets.

Source: Saxo Group

Quarterly Outlook 2024 Q3

Sandcastle economics

01 / 05

  • Macro: Sandcastle economics

    Invest wisely in Q3 2024: Discover SaxoStrats' insights on navigating a stable yet fragile global economy.

    Read article
  • Bonds: What to do until inflation stabilises

    Discover strategies for managing bonds as US and European yields remain rangebound due to uncertain inflation and evolving monetary policies.

    Read article
  • Equities: Are we blowing bubbles again

    Explore key trends and opportunities in European equities and electrification theme as market dynamics echo 2021's rally.

    Read article
  • FX: Risk-on currencies to surge against havens

    Explore the outlook for USD, AUD, NZD, and EM carry trades as risk-on currencies are set to outperform in Q3 2024.

    Read article
  • Commodities: Energy and grains in focus as metals pause

    Energy and grains to shine as metals pause. Discover key trends and market drivers for commodities in Q3 2024.

    Read article
Disclaimer

The Saxo Group entities each provide execution-only service and access to Analysis permitting a person to view and/or use content available on or via the website is not intended to and does not change or expand on this. Such access and use are at all times subject to (i) The Terms of Use; (ii) Full Disclaimer; (iii) The Risk Warning; (iv) the Rules of Engagement and (v) Notices applying to Saxo News & Research and/or its content in addition (where relevant) to the terms governing the use of hyperlinks on the website of a member of the Saxo Group by which access to Saxo News & Research is gained. Such content is therefore provided as no more than information. In particular no advice is intended to be provided or to be relied on as provided nor endorsed by any Saxo Group entity; nor is it to be construed as solicitation or an incentive provided to subscribe for or sell or purchase any financial instrument. All trading or investments you make must be pursuant to your own unprompted and informed self-directed decision. As such no Saxo Group entity will have or be liable for any losses that you may sustain as a result of any investment decision made in reliance on information which is available on Saxo News & Research or as a result of the use of the Saxo News & Research. Orders given and trades effected are deemed intended to be given or effected for the account of the customer with the Saxo Group entity operating in the jurisdiction in which the customer resides and/or with whom the customer opened and maintains his/her trading account. Saxo News & Research does not contain (and should not be construed as containing) financial, investment, tax or trading advice or advice of any sort offered, recommended or endorsed by Saxo Group and should not be construed as a record of our trading prices, or as an offer, incentive or solicitation for the subscription, sale or purchase in any financial instrument. To the extent that any content is construed as investment research, you must note and accept that the content was not intended to and has not been prepared in accordance with legal requirements designed to promote the independence of investment research and as such, would be considered as a marketing communication under relevant laws.

Please read our disclaimers:
- Notification on Non-Independent Investment Research (https://www.home.saxo/legal/niird/notification)
- Full disclaimer (https://www.home.saxo/en-hk/legal/disclaimer/saxo-disclaimer)

None of the information contained here constitutes an offer to purchase or sell a financial instrument, or to make any investments. Saxo does not take into account your personal investment objectives or financial situation and makes no representation and assumes no liability as to the accuracy or completeness of the information nor for any loss arising from any investment made in reliance of this presentation. Any opinions made are subject to change and may be personal to the author. These may not necessarily reflect the opinion of Saxo or its affiliates.

Saxo Capital Markets HK Limited
19th Floor
Shanghai Commercial Bank Tower
12 Queen’s Road Central
Hong Kong

Contact Saxo

Select region

Hong Kong S.A.R
Hong Kong S.A.R

Saxo Capital Markets HK Limited (“Saxo”) is a company authorised and regulated by the Securities and Futures Commission of Hong Kong. Saxo holds a Type 1 Regulated Activity (Dealing in Securities); Type 2 Regulated Activity (Dealing in Futures Contract); Type 3 Regulated Activity (Leveraged Foreign Exchange Trading); Type 4 Regulated Activity (Advising on Securities) and Type 9 Regulated Activity (Asset Management) licenses (CE No. AVD061). Registered address: 19th Floor, Shanghai Commercial Bank Tower, 12 Queen’s Road Central, Hong Kong.

Trading in financial instruments carries various risks, and is not suitable for all investors. Please seek expert advice, and always ensure that you fully understand these risks before trading. Trading in leveraged products may result in your losses exceeding your initial deposits. Saxo does not provide financial advice, any information available on this website is ‘general’ in nature and for informational purposes only. Saxo does not take into account an individual’s needs, objectives or financial situation. Please click here to view the relevant risk disclosure statements.

The Saxo trading platform has received numerous awards and recognition. For details of these awards and information on awards visit www.home.saxo/en-hk/about-us/awards.

The information or the products and services referred to on this site may be accessed worldwide, however is only intended for distribution to and use by recipients located in countries where such use does not constitute a violation of applicable legislation or regulations. Products and services offered on this website are not directed at, or intended for distribution to or use by, any person or entity residing in the United States and Japan. Please click here to view our full disclaimer.

Apple, iPad and iPhone are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the US and other countries. AppStore is a service mark of Apple Inc. Android is a trademark of Google Inc.