Welcome to the Conyers Global Shipping Digest, which provides an overview of significant M&A, capital markets and financing mandates in the global shipping industry over the past twelve months.
In 2025, the global shipping industry demonstrated continued resilience against the backdrop of ongoing geopolitical uncertainty and uneven macroeconomic conditions. The year was characterised by active financing markets, continued consolidation and a steady pipeline of equity and M&A transactions.
Private placements and follow-on offerings were a preferred mechanism, allowing issuers to raise capital efficiently without the uncertainty of full public offerings. M&A activity remained steady, with a significant proportion of transactions driven by consolidation, take-private activity and sponsor-led investment.