The shipping industry was deeply affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. But global ports are witnessing rising traffic this year and there is a shortage in the supply of shipping containers, which signals increasing demand. Amid this turnaround, we think it could be wise to evaluate two established players in the shipping industry—Castor Maritime (CTRM) and Matson (NYSE:MATX)—to determine which of these two stocks is a better buy now. Read on for such an evaluation.Castor Maritime Inc. (CTRM) and Matson, Inc. (MATX) are two established players in the shipping industry. They provide ocean transportation services. Based in Cyprus, CTRM provides seaborne transportation services for dry bulk cargo, including iron ore, coal, grains, steel products, fertilizers, cement, bauxite, sugar, and scrap metals. MATX, headquartered in Hawaii, operates through two segments: Ocean Transportation and Logistics.
Shipping companies were hit severely by the COVID-19 pandemic owing to global travel restrictions and and industrial production slowdown. But many of them appear to now be on a path of recovery this year. According to Statista, roughly 80% of the goods are transported by ships. Because the industry is expected to benefit from the recovery of international trade this year, we think it could be wise for investors to investigate the prospects of CTRM and MATX.
While MATX has returned 76.8% over the past nine months, CTRM has gained 127.5%. In terms of past six-month performance, CTRM is a clear winner with 274.5% returns versus MATX’s 18.4%. But which of these two stocks is a better pick now? Let's find out.