Singapore, Feb 8, 2026, 14:53 SGT — The market has closed.
- Yangzijiang Shipbuilding slipped 6.2% to S$3.16 by Friday’s close, with volumes running high.
- Maersk’s downbeat 2026 outlook and fresh cost-cutting moves rattled investors, putting freight-rate worries back in focus.
- Focus shifts to Monday’s SGX open, where traders are watching for momentum and any new cues on the shipping cycle.
Yangzijiang Shipbuilding (Holdings) Ltd shares tumbled 6.2% to S$3.16 on Friday, ranking among the steepest decliners on Singapore’s blue-chip board as the Straits Times Index slipped 0.8%. Volume was robust—51.4 million shares traded hands—after investors cited weaker shipping-sector updates from Europe. 1
Shipbuilders are back in the spotlight as freight rates take center stage in the latest selloff. Maersk projected its 2026 EBITDA at US$4.5 billion to US$7.0 billion, sticking with that widely watched operating profit figure. The company also highlighted plans to eliminate around 1,000 corporate jobs as part of broader cost-cutting efforts. 2
Maersk chief Vincent Clerc flagged that “new ships are coming in,” cautioning a shift back to Red Sea lanes could squeeze freight rates. Jyske Bank’s Haider Anjum weighed in: “many had hoped that more ships would be scrapped.” Instead, longer vessel lifespans are boosting supply. 3
Yangzijiang shares barely looked back on Friday. They started out at S$3.28, managed to touch S$3.30, then lost steam and fell to S$3.16 before the session ended. The previous close was S$3.37, ShareInvestor data showed. 4
Traders aren’t overcomplicating things here. When freight rates drop and there’s more capacity, shipowners start to play hardball: holding off on new orders, demanding sharper prices, even turning to smaller ships. That’s usually when shipyard stocks feel the pressure.
Yangzijiang constructs commercial ships—container vessels and various cargo ships—and its shipbuilding revenue depends on progress as jobs are completed, the company’s product disclosures show. 5
The retreat follows a solid rally. According to Investing.com, Yangzijiang has traded between S$1.80 and S$3.75 over the past year, so despite Friday’s slide, shares remain far above the bottom of that range. 6
Another risk lurks, unrelated to freight rates. In a Sept. 27 filing, Yangzijiang disclosed that its subsidiaries canceled contracts for four tankers valued at roughly US$180 million after learning of “critical information” connected to alleged efforts to dodge U.S. sanctions—a clear sign that buyer risk can emerge unexpectedly, even late in the game. 7
If markets pivot to expecting a deeper freight-rate slump, shipbuilding stocks could tumble fast—delivery timelines stretching years won’t offer much cushion. On the flip side, should something snarl major shipping lanes again, capacity stays pinched and rate pressure eases off.
SGX was closed Sunday, so Monday’s session will reveal if Friday’s selloff was a quick washout or the beginning of a deeper slide. Eyes are on fresh shipping updates too, with Maersk set to kick off its share buyback Feb. 9. 2
Yangzijiang’s next key event comes with its upcoming results update, slated for March 3, if MarketScreener’s events calendar is any guide. 8
