I’m Your Liver! Let me tell you how much I love you!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHChv3izCXs www.youtube.com

More Galleries | Leave a comment

Pakistan Shipping corporation under threat

Pakistan National Shipping Corporation has been exposed to a variety of financial risks that include credit risk, market risk (including foreign exchange risk, cash flow and fair value interest

rate risk and price risk) and liquidity risk.
According to the annual report of the corporation for the year ended on 30th June 2011, credit risk for the company arises from cash and cash equivalents, derivative financial instruments and deposits with banks and financial institutions, as well as credit exposures to customers, including trade debts and committed transactions. Out of the total financial assets, the financial assets of the company that are subject to credit risk amounted to Rs3,548.898 million (2010: Rs3,133.362 million), the report said. Moreover, a significant component of the receivable balances of the group relates to amounts due from the private sector organisations.
Foreign exchange risk
The group faces foreign currency risk on receivable, payable transactions at foreign ports and the derivative cross currency interest rate swap. Foreign currency risk is covered as a considered management decision, since the income from the derivative cross currency interest rate swap fluctuates widely due to change in exchange rate.
As of 30th June 2011, if the currency had weakened by 5 per cent against the US dollar with all other variables held constant, pre-tax profit for the year would have been Rs386.541 million (2010: Rs11.507 million) lower, mainly as a result of foreign exchange gains or losses on the translation of US dollar denominated assets and liabilities.
If at the same date the currency had strengthened by 5 per cent against US dollar with all other variables held constant, pre-tax profit for the year would have been Rs427.044 million (2010: Rs11.507 million) higher; mainly as a result of foreign exchange gains or losses on the translation of US dollar denominated assets and liabilities.
But, the affect of fluctuations in other foreign currency denominated assets or liabilities balances would not be material, therefore, not disclosed.
Cash flow and fair value interest rate risk
Interest rate risk is the risk that the value of a financial instrument will fluctuate due to changes in the market interest rates. The group has a high exposure to interest rate risk due to the financing obtained during the year. In order to manage its exposure to such risks the management of the holding company has entered into a derivative cross currency interest rate swap under which the holding company receives KIBOR on the PKR notional in exchange for payment of LIBOR on the USD notional.
The group has interest bearing liabilities and has floating interest rates. On 30th June 2011, if interest rates on borrowings had been 250 basis points higher or lower with all other variables held constant, profit after taxation for the year would have been lower/higher by Rs21.981 million (2010: Nil).
Liquidity Risk
Liquidity risk is the risk that the group will encounter difficulties in raising funds to meet commitments associated with financial instruments. The group believes that it is not exposed to any significant level of liquidity risk. The management forecasts the liquidity of the group on the basis of expected cash flow considering the level of liquid assets necessary to meet such risk. This involves monitoring balance sheet liquidity ratios and maintaining debt financing plans.
The group is subject to external restrictions in respect of long term financing against which it needs to comply with certain covenants; debt equity ratio shall not exceed 60:40 and debt service ratio of 1.25 times. The group is in compliance with the requirements of such covenants and maintains a debt equity ratio of 30:70 and debt service coverage ratio of 3.4 times.
Long-term Financing
During the year, the Corporation has obtained financing facility of Rs10,300 million (June 30, 2010: nil). The financing was obtained in the form of a syndicated term finance loan of Rs9,000 million and the remaining amount of Rs1,300 million in the form of Term Finance Certificates (TFCs) with a face value of Rs5,000 each by way of private placement.
The corporation can draw down the amount till 1st February 2012. The financing carries mark-up of KIBOR+2.20 per cent. The loan along with the mark-up is repayable on quarterly basis and the last repayment date is 23rd November, 2018. The facility is secured by a first mortgage charge over certain vessels owned by its subsidiary companies, all present and future receivables of the corporation from three major customers and its investment properties.
As of 30th June 2011, the corporation has drawn Rs7,438.806 million (June 30, 2010: nil) and Rs1,074.494 million (June 30, 2010: nil) from syndicated term finance and TFCs’ respectively. The corporation has also paid loan arrangement fee amounting to Rs106.662 million out of which Rs88.160 million (June 30, 2010: nil) was included in the amortised cost of the long term financing whereas the unamortised portion amounting to Rs18.502 million (June 30, 2010: nil) has been included in deposits and short-term prepayments.
Source: Pakistan Today

Posted in General Blog | Leave a comment

Rio Tinto Aims to Double Shipments on Own Vessels in Four Years

Rio Tinto Group, the world’s second- largest mining company, aims to almost double the amount of commodities shipped on vessels it owns or hires to get iron ore and coal to customers more quickly. Ocean freight haulage on ships it … Continue reading

More Galleries | Leave a comment

Trans-Pacific Rates Rise First Time in Two Months

Trans-Pacific spot rates rebounded this week off their 22-month low of last week, rising for the first time in two months, as measured by Drewry Shipping Consultants weekly benchmark. The Drewry benchmark rate for container shipments from Hong Kong to … Continue reading

More Galleries | Leave a comment

Top 10 Countries in the Red

What’s black and white, but mostly red all over? The current global economy. As the European Banking Authority struggles to support its indebted member nations and Wall Street searches for its fiscal sea legs in the wake of the global … Continue reading

More Galleries | Leave a comment

India GDP growth to beat China by 2013: Ernst&Young

With the Indian GDP slowing down and inflation rising, some may not believe the India Story, but by 2013, India could actually overtake China in terms of GDP growth.
A report by Ernst& Young forecasts Indian GDP to be at 9.5% in 2013 and 9% in 2014 while China slows down to 9% and 8.6% respectively.
“While the overall outlook for India is positive, the country will need to address rising inflation. Provided India’s inflation does start to fall back by the end of this year, and the US and EU economies do not slip back into recession, the ‘soft patch’ for Indian growth should be relatively short-lived. Once inflation is in check, and interest rates are no longer rising, consumers will be more willing to spend, supporting a general improvement in the business environment, with growth steadily accelerating during 2012”, the Ernst & Young report says
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) had earlier lowered the current fiscal GDP to be at 7.6% from the 8.5% growth in 2010-2011. However, RBI projected a moderation in inflation to 7% by March 2012.
Source: Commodity Online


Posted in Finance, General Blog, News | Leave a comment

Australia’s Newcastle coal shipments off 24% last week, vessel queue peaks

coal_import_11The performance of the Hunter Valley supply chain for coal exports in New South Wales, slipped to an 11-week low in the seven-day period to 7 am Australian Eastern Daylight Time Monday

(2000 GMT October 30) at 1.86 million mt of coal shipped in 20 vessels, according to an operations report posted on Newcastle Port Corp’s website.
There was no immediate explanation for the 24% week on week coal exports decline announced in Newcastle Port Corp.’s export performance report, as in the preceding week period ended 7 am AEDT October 24, 2.45 million mt of coal exports had been loaded into 29 ships at Newcastle port.
A separate report issued by the Hunter Valley coal chain coordinator said Newcastle terminals operator Port Waratah Coal Services had fallen short of its ship-loading target of 1.9 million mt for coal exports last week.
“PWCS shiploading for the week was 354,000 mt below the PWCS declared outbound throughput [target of 1.58 million mt]. PWCS port stocks have increased to 1.6 million mt,” said HVCCC in its performance report for the week ended October 30.
Cargo assembly rates in the Hunter Valley coal chain at 2.4 million mt were only 6,000 mt under target for the week, said the coordinator for the Hunter Valley coal chain which feeds coal exports from 35 coal mines controlled by producers including, Anglo American, BHP Billiton, Peabody Energy, Rio Tinto and Xstrata to Newcastle port.
“Member [coal cargo] losses finished the week at 10.5% compared to the target of 13.6%,” said HVCCC in its report.
The offshore vessel queue for PWCS’ two coal terminals is forecast to taper-off slightly to 47 ships by the end of November, based on ship-loading volumes for the month of 7.8 million mt, said HVCCC in its report.
Previously, in a report dated October 23, the Hunter Valley coal chain coordinator had forecast a combined vessel queue for the two PWCS terminals of 50 ships by the end of November — potentially its highest since June 2010.
Planned maintenance to a significant section of the Hunter Valley railway from November 22-25 was the reason for the growth in the vessel queue for the PWCS terminals, said HVCCC.
Vessels entering Newcastle port last week had waited an average of 11 days in the port’s offshore vessel queue, an increase on 9.6 days a week earlier, NPC said in its report.
Newcastle port said there were 13 ships in its offshore queue and waiting to load coal exports on October 31, up from 10 ships in the preceding week, and the number of ships with a seven-day notified arrival time for the port was stable week on week at 58 vessels.
Coal export statistics for the Newcastle Coal Infrastructure Group terminal were included in Newcastle Port Corp.’s report, but were not provided in the HVCCC’s report.
(http://www.platts.com/RSSFeedDetailedNews/RSSFeed/Coal/8522622).
Source: Michael Cooper, Platts

Posted in Chartering, Dry Cargo, General Blog, News | Leave a comment

How does smoking starve your heart of oxygen?

Bodily Organs Image Gallery See more pictures of bodily organs. Kicking the Habit Is quitting smoking contagious? Why is it so hard to quit smoking? More nicotine in cigarettes? ­Smoking is one of mankind’s crueler pastimes. You try out cigarettes. … Continue reading

More Galleries | Leave a comment

Tanker market volatility more obvious than ever

Tanker owners are having to withstand significant challenges when planning out their chartering strategies, as evidenced by the major highs and lows that the markets can experience within a short period of time. The latest analysis from London-based Gibson points … Continue reading

More Galleries | Leave a comment

Ship finance in China: key developments and challenges

China’s shipbuilding industry has developed rapidly over the past few years partly due to strong demand for newbuilding vessels from Chinese shipowners. China had set its sights on becoming the world’s biggest shipbuilder by 2009, and by 2010/2011 China will … Continue reading

More Galleries | Leave a comment