Container shipping line financial model, built free.
A three-statement Excel model for a container shipping line, built from your own figures and checked to balance.
- Free account
- No card
- Usually ready within the hour
We use generative AI in parts of our process, so mistakes can occur. Every model should be checked by a person before it is relied on. Read more
Runs scheduled liner services with owned and chartered-in container ships, earning freight per container lifted on each trade lane against bunker, port, equipment and charter costs.
In short
- 01
Three linked statements
Income statement, balance sheet and cash flow, linked in every period.
- 02
Valued two ways
Discounted cash flow and trading multiples, side by side.
- 03
Monthly to annual
Monthly, quarterly, half-yearly or annual periods, for up to 30 years.
- 04
Checked every period
A Checks sheet shows the balance sheet balances and the cash reconciles.
The sample, as Excel draws it.
Built by the same system and checks as yours: its structure and its inputs, ready for your own figures.
The sample describes no real business. Yours is calibrated to your own figures, so its results are your business’s.
How the model works for a container shipping line.
- How it earns revenue1 formulaRevenue (top-down) · Across the businessRevenueUnits soldAverage price
- What drives its costs3 formulasVessel operating costs · All vesselsVessel operating costsCalendar daysOperating cost per ship per dayDirect costs (top-down) · Across the businessCost of salesRevenuefrom statementsGross marginOperating expenses · Across the businessTotal FTEsOperations and deliverySales and marketingTechnologyFinance, HR and administration
- What it invests in3 formulasVessel book value, drydocking and depreciation · All vesselsClosing net book valueOpening net book valueDrydocking and upgrade capexVessel depreciationLeasesPrincipal elements of lease paymentsLease payments (cash)from cashInterest on lease liabilitiesLeasesClosing lease liabilitiesLease 1Lease 2Lease 3Lease 4Lease 5Lease 6
- How it is funded3 formulasDebtRepaymentsScheduled repaymentsPrepayments from an equity raise and the cash sweepDebtClosing balanceOpening balanceDrawdownsRepaymentsDebtInterest expenseOpening balanceAll-in interest rateshare of the year
- How profit becomes cash3 formulasWorking capitalTrade receivablesRevenuefrom statementsDebtor daysDays in periodWorking capitalInventoryDirect costs (positive)from statementsInventory daysDays in periodWorking capitalTrade payablesCash operating costs (positive)from statementsCreditor daysDays in period
18 parts, each one tested.
Every part is a tested building block with its own checks: yours is put together from the ones your business needs.
- CPI forecastConsensus curve with long-run anchor
- Exchange rate (US dollar)Exchange rate by financial year
- Revenue (top-down)Price × volume
- Direct costs (top-down)Gross margin %
- Operating expensesHeadcount build by function
- Corporate costsFixed cost base indexed to CPI
- Working capitalFull working capital
- Income taxCorporate rate with tax losses
- DebtAmortising term loan
- Dividends and distributionsPayout of net profit
- Discounted cash flow valuationDCF on free cash flow to the firm
- Multiples valuationEV / EBITDA multiple
- LeasesLease register
- Key-metric summaryLast-twelve-month and run-rate metrics
- Discount rate (WACC)CAPM at target gearing
- Terminal valuePerpetuity growth on normalised cash flow
- Vessel operating costsOpex per dayDaily running costs of each vessel: crew, insurance, stores, lubricants, repairs and technical management.
- Vessel book value, drydocking and depreciationStraight-line to scrap valueNewbuild payments, drydocking, depreciation to scrap value and impairment of each vessel.
The numbers it tracks.
- 01liftings (FFE)
- 02average freight rate
- 03unit cost per FFE
- 04bunker cost
- 05EBIT margin
- 06fleet capacity (TEU)
What it is used for.
- Operating forecastGuide · Financial projections
- Budget and rolling forecastGuide · Cash flow forecast
- ValuationGuide · DCF valuation model
- Lending and credit analysisGuide · Three-statement model
- Scenarios and sensitivities
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Looking for a container shipping line financial model template? Ours arrives built for your business, with your figures in it.
See a finished model, sheet by sheetThe sample is built on illustrative figures and describes no real business. Models are calculations prepared from the information you provide. They are not financial advice and must be independently verified. See our terms.