Confidence Still Shaky, Survey Finds

摘要

While many in the shipping industry expect the cost of finance to rise, a degree of optimism seems to be returning to the industry, if the latest shipping confidence survey from accountant Moore Stephens is anything to go by. Although the survey says that 60% of those contacted expect the cost of finance to rise, this is 6% lower than the previous survey in June. "The net fall in the number of respondents who expected finance costs to rise over the next 12 months represented a change in sentiment of 16%," it says. The net figure (those expecting higher costs minus those expecting lower costs) for June was 57 whereas in November, it was 41, One respondent commented on the likely effect of persistent higher finance costs on the market. The optimism surrounding weaker asset values and the opportunities they might throw up was tempered by the fact that higher finance costs "will eventually slow this process", according to the respondent.