Macro fears trump profits for product tanker stock investors
- Past recessions imply that product tankers will fare relatively well if US trade policies precipitate a global downturn in 2025
- Chinese tariffs on US propane are hiking demand for naphtha cargoes, a positive for LR2s
- Product tanker demand was hit last year by cargo cannibalisation from crude tankers, which is less likely in 2025
Good news: Product tanker rates are solid and owners are earning profits. Bad news: Investors in product tanker stocks don’t seem to care. They’re preoccupied with Trump 2.0 uncertainty