Maersk 3Q profit surges but shipper warns of ‘dark clouds’

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — The world’s biggest container shipping company Maersk has reported a substantially improved third quarter profit and sales on the back of higher ocean freight rates and acquisitions. But Maersk warned on Wednesday that there were “dark clouds on the horizon” in the business. The Copenhagen-based company said that profit before taxes stood at $9.5 billion in the July-September period in comparison to $5.9 billion a year earlier. Revenue increased 37% to $22.8 billion that was boosted by higher freight rates in the company’s main Ocean unit business and acquisitions completed in the Logistics unit.