Key Takeaways
- Quality scores 48/100: $992M of free cash flow is strong, but a 2.1% net margin and 1.37 debt-to-equity weigh on the picture.
- Revenue rose 8.9% over the trailing twelve months, but a -18.1% five-year CAGR keeps Growth at 34/100.
- Opportunity scores 73/100 on a 0.90 price-to-book and a 28.3% FCF yield, though a reported $35 cash takeover offer is likely to drive the $29.05 share price more.
ZIM Integrated Shipping Services Ltd. trades at $29.05, about 3.5% below its two-year high of $30.10. The most important number for the stock is not in our metrics at all: Hapag-Lloyd has agreed to acquire ZIM for $35 per share in cash, a deal that shareholders approved in April and that remains subject to Israeli government approval, according to reports. That leaves the shares about 17% below the offer price. This ZIM Integrated Shipping Services Ltd. stock analysis covers the fundamentals, but they should be read alongside the pending deal.
What Is Happening With the Stock Price
At $29.05, ZIM sits in the upper end of its two-year range, roughly 134% above the $12.44 low, with a market capitalization of $3.50B. While a takeover is pending, the share price tends to track the offer, discounted for the time to completion and the risk that the deal does not close. The deal is reportedly expected to complete by the end of 2026. If it were to fall through, the shares would likely be valued on fundamentals again, which, as the sections below show, are mixed.
Quality: Is This a Financially Sound Business?
Quality scores 48/100. ZIM earns a 31.0% gross margin and an 8.4% operating margin, but only a 2.1% net profit margin, which suggests financing and other costs absorb much of the operating profit. Returns are low: return on assets is 2.1% and return on equity is 3.6%. Debt-to-equity of 1.37 is high, although liquidity is adequate, with a current ratio of 1.24 and a quick ratio of 1.15.
Cash flow is the standout. Free cash flow of $992M over the trailing twelve months is large relative to both net income and the $3.50B market capitalization, which is common in shipping, where heavy vessel depreciation depresses reported earnings. The dividend data is mixed: the yield shows 0.0% while the trailing payout ratio is 108.7%. That reflects past distributions; the company reportedly suspended its dividend after a first-quarter 2026 loss. For this ZIM Integrated Shipping Services Ltd. stock analysis, the quality picture is of strong cash generation alongside thin profits and a leveraged balance sheet.
Growth: Does This Company Have Real Upside?
Growth scores 34/100. Revenue rose 8.9% over the trailing twelve months to $6.4B, but the five-year revenue CAGR is -18.1%, showing how far revenue has fallen from earlier peak levels in a highly cyclical industry. Earnings grew 178.4% over the trailing twelve months, though from a low base. EV/Revenue is 1.11. One figure needs caution: an EV/EBITDA of 15.36 alongside that EV/Revenue implies EBITDA of only about 7% of revenue, below the 8.4% operating margin, which should not happen because EBITDA adds back depreciation. The figures likely cover different periods, so the EV/EBITDA multiple is best treated as approximate.
Opportunity: Is Now a Good Time to Enter?
Opportunity scores 73/100, the strongest pillar. The shares trade at 0.90 times book value and offer a 28.3% free cash flow yield, both inexpensive on paper. The P/E of 25.26 on earnings per share of $1.15 is less attractive, because net profit is thin. Our model scores only the fundamentals and does not factor in the takeover; with a cash offer pending, the gap to the $35 price and the odds of completion are likely to drive the shares more than these valuation measures.
ZIM Integrated Shipping Services Ltd. Stock Analysis: The Bottom Line
StreetBriefs’ scoring model rates ZIM a Hold, with a Recommendation Score of 52/100. The bull case is a 28.3% free cash flow yield, a price below book value and an agreed cash offer above today’s share price. The bear case is a 2.1% net margin, debt-to-equity of 1.37, a negative five-year revenue trend and a suspended dividend. The main risk is deal risk: if regulatory approval is delayed or the transaction collapses, the shares could fall back toward a valuation based on a cyclical, thinly profitable business.
This ZIM Integrated Shipping Services Ltd. stock analysis presents Hold as a quantitative model signal for further research, not a personalized recommendation to transact. Investors weighing the name might focus on the progress of the regulatory approval as much as on the shipping fundamentals. All equities carry risk, and pending deals carry risks of their own.
Financial Metrics Summary
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Price & Valuation | |
| Current Price | $29.05 |
| 2-Year Low | $12.44 |
| 2-Year High | $30.10 |
| Market Cap | $3.50B |
| P/E Ratio | 25.26 |
| EV / Revenue | 1.11 |
| Our Scores | |
| Quality Score | 48 / 100 |
| Growth Score | 34 / 100 |
| Opportunity Score | 73 / 100 |
| Profitability | |
| Earnings Per Share | $1.15 |
| Return on Assets | 2.1% |
| Return on Equity | 3.6% |
| Net Profit Margin | 2.1% |
| Gross Margin | 31.0% |
| Operating Margin | 8.4% |
| Growth | |
| Revenue Growth (5Y CAGR) | -18.1% |
| Revenue Growth (TTM) | 8.9% |
| Earnings Growth (TTM) | 178.4% |
| Balance Sheet | |
| Debt-to-Equity | 1.37 |
| Current Ratio | 1.24 |
| Quick Ratio | 1.15 |
| Income & Dividends | |
| Dividend Yield | 0.0% |
| Payout Ratio | 108.7% |
Data as of October 21, 2026
Our Three-Pillar Assessment
| Quality |
48/100 |
| Growth |
34/100 |
| Opportunity |
73/100 |
Quality measures business fundamentals: profitability, cash flow discipline, and balance sheet strength.
Growth captures revenue momentum, gross margin scalability, and the Rule of 40 efficiency test.
Opportunity signals entry timing: current valuation versus history and price position in the 2-year range.
Current price: $29.05 trading 3% below its 2-year high of $30.10.
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This analysis is done using financial data from Yahoo Finance.
Always conduct your own due diligence and consult a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions.