Shipping services group Clarkson PLC (LSE:CKN) told investors it expects to beat current market forecasts thanks to “strong trading” throughout the final quarter of last year.
The FTSE 250-listed company said its ship broking division performed particularly well.
Underlying profit before tax is now expected to be not less than £98mln when it reports results in March.
The buoyant performance continues a trend from the first half of the year, which was revealed in interim results in August, where Clarkson said the bright outlook was due to the “structural supply shortage in the global shipping fleet”, which helps boost both freight rates and asset values.
With these profits Clarksons is likely to extend its consecutive dividend increases into a 20th year.