Top 10 shipbrokers 2025

01 / Andi Case, Clarksons

Clarksons remains by far the world’s largest shipbroker and, while the London-listed company reported a 25% drop in first-half 2025 pre-tax profits to £37.5m ($49m) — down from £50.1m in the corresponding 2024 period — it is expected to benefit from an upturn in second-half tanker freight markets.

The company, led by chief executive Andi Case, has diversified to provide other maritime support services, but the shipbroking division remains by far the biggest contributor to revenue.

Clarksons noted that the first half of 2025 was characterised by heightened political and economic uncertainty, shifting tariffs and sanctions, and the effects of regional conflicts — all of which contributed to a slowdown in newbuilding and secondhand sale and purchase activity.

Nonetheless, the group noted that investment remained supported by favourable supply and demand dynamics, an ageing fleet and growing interest in green technologies.

Clarksons strengthened its global footprint with the acquisition of Washington DC-based Euro-America Shipping & Trade, enhancing its access to US government freight contracts. The group also expanded operations in Brazil and broadened its freight and commodity derivatives offerings.

Despite global challenges, Clarksons remains confident in its ability to navigate uncertainty and capitalise on emerging opportunities across key shipping markets.

Shipbroking provided £222m of revenue during 1H25 — or some 75% of total revenue of £310.1m — down 11% compared to the £247.7m achieved in 1H24. The profit margin from its shipbroking division was reported as around 19%, down from 21.6% in 1H24.

Clarksons’ support business, which includes ships agency and freight forwarding, provided 11.3% of revenue, up from 10.4% in 1H24.

Its financial business and Clarkson Research Services, which provides data, ship-tracking and analysis services, produced 9.7% and 4.4% of total revenue respectively, compared to 5.9% and 3.8% in 1H24.

Clarksons remains one of the few shipbroking businesses involved across every shipping market. The 167-year-old business employs 2,100 staff in 24 countries, with some 1,300 employees in the shipbroking division.

02 / Stanko Jekov, SSY

SSY managing partner Stanko Jekov noted that in 2025, the company continued to follow its growth strategy, entering into new markets and new territories. Acquisition remained a key driver in its expansion roadmap, in addition to strong organic growth across all key markets.

The company attracted senior talent from rival major brokers, including Clarksons and Braemar, supporting SSY’s continued growth and diversification.

SSY expanded its commodities portfolio into the nuclear energy sector with the acquisition of US-based brokerage Uranium Markets LLC. Established in 2014, Uranium Markets has rapidly become a prominent firm in the nuclear energy industry, with experienced teams in both the US and UK.

The company joined up with shipbroking peers Arrow, Gibson, Howe Robinson and Ifchor Galbraiths to launch Ocean Recap, a purpose-built platform set to redefine recap and charter party management.

Developed in partnership with Signal Ocean, the initiative represents a rare alignment of major broking houses around a shared goal: to bring greater efficiency, structure and consistency to a vital aspect of the chartering process.

SSY noted that its dry cargo business performed well overall in 2025, with rates for the year averaging very close to levels seen in 2024 across all vessel sizes.

Crude tanker markets remained volatile and were boosted from August by a wave of US and European sanctions on Russian and Iranian oil flows that involved major Russian oil producers and Chinese and Indian refineries.

Sale and purchase volumes remained similar to the previous year, showing healthy appetite for secondhand tonnage overall, despite what some may see as elevated asset values compared to available earnings for long-term employment.

London-headquartered SSY employs 410 shipbrokers, up from 340 in 2024, and a further 200 personnel in 27 offices worldwide. The company opened two new offices, in Aberdeen and Rotterdam, and expanded its Dubai, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Tokyo offices in 2025.

03 / James Gundy, Braemar

Braemar reported weaker results for the first half of fiscal 2025 as softer charter rates, political volatility and a weaker US dollar combined to impact performance.

The London-listed company posted revenue of £63.9 m ($83.6m) for the six months to August 2025, down 16% from £76m in the same period last year.

The decrease reflected a 29% fall in average tanker rates and a 17% decline in dry cargo rates, which weighed on chartering income.

Chief executive James Gundy said despite the first-half challenges, Braemar remained confident in meeting its full-year expectations.

He noted improvements in second-half charter rates, increasing sale and purchase activity and a strong forward orderbook during the second half to support the board’s confidence in maintaining its full-year forecast.

“We continue to benefit from our diversified business model and are pleased with the progress we have made against our strategic priorities,” said Gundy.

This year, Braemar faced operational setbacks following the departure of several key brokers from its very large crude carrier and suezmax tanker desks, and further staff attrition from its dry cargo desk in Singapore.

The company has since rebuilt its teams and appointed a new experienced global head of tanker operations.

Braemar noted that it continues to invest in new talent, welcoming 17 trainees as part of its broker training programme. It also expanded its international presence with the opening of a new office in Cape Town, South Africa, bringing its network to 19 offices across 13 countries.

04 / Gilbert Walter, BRS Group

Paris-headquartered shipbroking group BRS continues to reinforce its position as one of the world’s leading maritime service providers, with 420 employees, including 245 shipbrokers across 23 offices worldwide.

The company’s strategic emphasis on innovation and global reach remains central to its growth ambitions.

Over the past year, headed by Gilbert Walter — chief executive of BRS Shipbrokers and chairman of BRS Group — the company has advanced its digitalisation and data-driven strategy, launching a new data intelligence department to enhance market analysis and client support.

The initiative reflects BRS’s commitment to integrating technology and analytics into traditional shipbroking, helping clients navigate increasingly complex and dynamic maritime markets.

From a markets perspective, 2025 was a year of two halves for BRS. The first half saw a general slowdown across most shipping sectors, while the third quarter marked a strong rebound in activity, setting the stage for firmer markets heading into the final months of the year.

Like many global shipbroking firms, BRS reported softer revenues in 2025 compared with an exceptionally strong 2024. However, underlying demand across its core markets remains resilient, particularly in the tanker segment, which has shown notable growth in the US and South America, driven by rising export activity.

Conversely, the dry bulk sector in the US experienced a downturn, due to weaker import demand.

BRS’s diversified portfolio continues to be a key strength, with dry cargo accounting for 39% of revenues, tankers 34%, assets 19%, and offshore and renewables, liner shipping, gas, and carbon trading contributing a combined 8%.

05 / Jeremy Palin, Arrow Shipping & Energy

Arrow, under chief executive Jeremy Palin, is one of the world’s largest privately owned shipping and energy broking groups and celebrated 35 years of operations in 2025.

The company employs more than 400 staff, including 230 engaged in shipbroking, across 18 offices and has built a strong reputation in newbuilding, sale and purchase, chartering and derivatives, becoming one of the world’s largest dry cargo and tanker brokers.

Its longstanding presence in Japan, South Korea and China has helped develop enduring connections to the world’s leading shipbuilders.

Arrow’s vessel valuation service works closely with major shipowners, banks and financial institutions, supported by a research division that produces specialised reporting on the S&P and newbuilding markets, with a focus on bulk carriers and tankers.

Arrow’s dry bulk brokers maintain a dominant position across capesize, panamax and geared segments, leveraging longstanding relationships with charterers and owners.

Its tanker division continues to expand in time-charter and project markets and is growing its presence in spot crude, product and liquefied petroleum gas broking, reinforced by coordination with Arrow Energy Markets (AEM).

Launched in 2024, AEM has quickly become a major player in over-the-counter crude and refined product swaps, with daily volumes surpassing 40m barrels in 2025.

Arrow’s Capital & Finance division provides comprehensive financing solutions, having completed more than 100 transactions since 2008, including equity raising, debt financing, restructurings and specialised projects.

The firm’s dry freight derivatives (FFA) division is one of the most experienced in a rapidly growing market, helping clients hedge freight risk and craft strategies that blend physical and financial insights. Arrow’s FFA brokers are widely regarded as market leaders in interpreting freight dynamics and speculative positioning.

06 / Guy Hindley and Henry Liddell, Howe Robinson Partners

Privately owned shipbroking firm Howe Robinson has reported another strong set of results for the financial year ending March 31, 2025, underscoring its solid performance across global shipping markets.

Active across a broad range of vessel sectors, including LNG carriers and vehicle carriers, but noted for its strength in the containership sector, the Singapore-headquartered company operates through a network of 16 offices worldwide.

Its largest office is in London, with other key locations in Shanghai, Delhi, Houston and Dubai.

Howe Robinson employs more than 400 people, including some 260 shipbrokers, and completed in excess of 5,500 fixtures during the past financial year.

The firm is wholly employee-owned, with more than half of its staff holding shares in the business — a structure that it says helps drive long-term performance and commitment.

Led by managing partners Guy Hindley and Henry Liddell, Howe Robinson has also earned a strong reputation for its research and market analysis capabilities across all sectors in which it operates.

07 / Bjorn Andersen and Emanuele Ravano, Ifchor Galbraiths

Formed by the merger of London-based energy shipping broker Galbraiths and Switzerland-based dry cargo broker Ifchor in late 2022, Ifchor Galbraiths’ global headcount has risen to 376, reflecting the firm’s ability to attract senior talent and develop the next generation of brokers while maintaining best-in-class operational support.

Some 225 chartering and S&P brokers are active across dry bulk, tanker, chemical, offshore and gas markets. In addition to core broking services, IG provides clients with ship finance, sustainability advisory, and market research and analysis.

A key pillar of IG’s commercial strategy is expanding its local presence in high-growth markets. In September 2025, the company launched a new Houston desk focused on the US Jones Act tanker market, identifying the US as a growth region amid renewed government support for domestic shipbuilding.

Headed by its co-chief executives Bjorn Andersen and Emanuele Ravano, IG is also evaluating expansion in South America, where rising exports, new port infrastructure, and increasing local shipowning activity signal strong market potential.

Across all markets, 2025 saw heightened transaction activity, with dry bulk volumes improving and tanker markets surging as VLCC rates crossed into six-figure territory. IG’s S&P division secured major mandates, including developing an ammonia-fuelled ammonia carrier fleet for Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners’ Energy Transition Fund.

Looking ahead, IG expects 2026 to bring continued volatility but strong opportunities across all segments, supported by the firm’s global network, market insight and commitment to innovation.

08 / Anders Hald, MB Shipbrokers

MB Shipbrokers (formerly Maersk Broker) reinforced its position as one of the world’s leading independent shipbroking companies, following a successful employee and management buyout from the Møller family at the end of 2023.

Led by chief executive Anders Hald and headquartered in Copenhagen, MB Shipbrokers employs around 250 people worldwide, including 170 personnel engaged in shipbroking and commercial services.

Throughout 2025, the company noted strong results across its core containership, S&P, newbuilding and dry cargo chartering businesses. Driven by sustained global demand for new and secondhand ships, MB Shipbrokers reported record levels of activity during the year.

Both newbuilding orders and secondhand transactions surpassed expectations, underlining the company’s reputation for execution and market insight.

Asset-related activities accounted for approximately 40% of total revenue, followed by containerships at 30%. Dry bulk chartering provided 15% of revenue, while other sectors, including tankers, gas, offshore, financing and advisory, made up the remaining 15%.

Fully owned by its employees, MB Shipbrokers combines a broad range of services across 14 offices worldwide. Growth has been particularly strong in Asia, driven by a strategic focus to attract top-tier brokers and investing in the next generation of talent through the company’s graduate programme.

09 / Daniel Hockey, Affinity Shipping

The London-headquartered shipbroking firm Affinity Shipping was founded in 2015 by former Clarksons chief executive Richard Fulford-Smith and posted a “satisfactory” performance for its 2024 financial year, despite a sharp drop in pre-tax profits and a challenging global environment.

Fulford-Smith stepped down from his leadership role at the end of 2024, with Affinity tanker broker Daniel Hockey taking over as chief executive at the beginning of the year.

The company deploys more than 200 in-house personnel and employs around 150 shipbrokers. Approximately half of its earnings are generated from the tanker sector, while S&P and newbuildings represent the second-largest revenue stream. Gas and dry cargo operations account for most of the remainder.

For 2024, the group reported a 3.4% increase in revenue but a 33.9% decline in pre-tax profit compared with 2023. The profit contraction was attributed largely to the acquisition of Vortex, a shipbroking business absorbed during the year.

The company warned of an uncertain outlook for its 2025 results. It cited ongoing disruptions to global trade stemming from the conflict in Ukraine, sanctions on Russia, and instability linked to US tariff and penalty measures.

Despite this challenging backdrop, the company expressed confidence in its ability to withstand economic pressures and to benefit from emerging opportunities as new trading patterns develop.

Alongside its research activities, the company also operates a maritime carbon-emissions advisory joint venture with Norway’s Wilhelmsen Group, underscoring its strategic focus on environmental and regulatory developments within global shipping.

10 / Roger Harrison, EA Gibson Shipbrokers

EA Gibson marked 10 years of employee ownership in 2025, celebrating a decade of growth and innovation. The company employs 182 people, including 104 brokers, across seven offices worldwide.

Led by managing director Roger Harrison and headquartered in London, Gibson operates from Athens, Mumbai, Dubai, Houston, Hong Kong and Singapore, with additional operations in Hamburg and Australia.

The company noted volatile shipping markets in 2025, with a weaker first half followed by a stronger second half as geopolitical tensions lifted freight rates.

The crude market outperformed the clean sector, while gas was affected by tariffs and regulation. Gibson’s continued investment in in-house technology has enabled rapid market analysis and strategic client advice amid these shifts.

Growth across Asia has been a highlight, with the establishment of a new S&P desk in Singapore and the appointment of Owen Bolton as managing director of Gibson Singapore.

In India and Bangladesh, strong activity was noted in the newbuilding and S&P markets, while Gibson’s Houston office has strengthened its regional presence, particularly in crude.

Expanding its services, Gibson launched EA Gibson Capital, led by Richard Moore, integrating the expertise of RMK Maritime (Europe).

“This new offering broadens our capabilities and reflects our commitment to evolving with the market,” said Harrison.

In June, Gibson also launched The Shipbrokers Podcast, providing analysis from brokers and market experts.

EA Gibson is one of the few big employee-owned shipbroking companies and remains focused on energy shipping’s gas and tanker segments.

This list is part of the Lloyd’s List One Hundred People 2025 (Edition 16) that will be published from December 8

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