
VIKING GRACE © Richard Seville
Viking Line first-half income falls as associated companies weigh on result
FinanceViking Line reported a first-half 2026 marked by an unusually severe ice winter, with group sales down 0.8% to EUR 214.0 million and income before taxes falling to EUR -18.6 million, largely on weaker earnings from associated companies. Second-quarter trading was steadier, with sales up 0.7% to EUR 129.3 million, passenger market share rising to 31.8% on strong car-segment growth, and no full-year forecast issued amid continued energy-price uncertainty.
Key points:
- H1 2026 sales down 0.8% to EUR 214.0 million (EUR 215.8 million); operating income EUR -12.0 million (EUR -11.2 million); income before taxes EUR -18.6 million (EUR -17.2 million)
- Q2 2026 sales up 0.7% to EUR 129.3 million (EUR 128.4 million); operating income EUR 6.8 million, broadly flat year-on-year
- Weaker results from associated companies Rederiaktiebolaget Eckerö, Alandia Försäkring Abp and joint venture Gotland Alandia Cruises AB were the main drag on the period's income
- No full-year 2026 forecast issued; Board expects income before taxes for 2026 to be lower than in 2025 due to higher energy prices and associated-company performance
- Passengers on wholly owned vessels fell slightly to 1,980,954 (2,003,861), but estimated market share rose to 31.8% (31.6%), with a notably stronger showing in the passenger car segment
- Cargo volumes fell to 68,153 units (71,324) as Viking Line held pricing rather than chase volume; cargo market share eased to 18.5% (19.5%)
- Investments totalled EUR 11.0 million, chiefly the docking of VIKING GRACE
Passenger-related revenue for the half-year eased 1.0% to EUR 186.2 million, while cargo revenue slipped 0.5% to EUR 26.6 million. Operating expenses fell 1.5% to EUR 163.4 million despite emission allowance costs rising to EUR 3.4 million, as the company continued to prioritise cost efficiency and partially hedged bunker consumption to offset higher energy prices.
President and CEO Marcus Risberg said the second quarter showed Viking Line's operations remained resilient despite a challenging market, with sales ahead of the comparison period and operating income on par, even as overall income was held back by weaker earnings development in the Group's associates. He noted that the total passenger market in Viking Line's traffic area contracted during the first half, making the Company's market share gains, particularly in the car segment, a sign that its customer offering remains competitive.
On the fleet side, VIKING GRACE was docked from 6 to 28 January, during which VIKING GLORY covered her Turku–Mariehamn–Stockholm departures from Turku while GABRIELLA stood in on the same route from Stockholm. Jointly owned BIRKA GOTLAND had a scheduled traffic break from 11 to 15 January. From 17 June to 9 August, GABRIELLA and VIKING CINDERELLA called at Tallinn as part of the regular Helsinki–Mariehamn–Stockholm service, and GABRIELLA additionally operated two destination cruises from Helsinki to Visby in June.
VIKING GRACE and VIKING GLORY continued to run on a 50 per cent share of biogas during the quarter, which Viking Line said supports both lower emissions and resilience to future regulatory shifts.
The Group's equity/assets ratio stood at 52.9% (51.9%) at the end of June, with cash and cash equivalents of EUR 47.3 million (EUR 41.5 million) and long-term interest-bearing liabilities reduced to EUR 84.1 million (EUR 112.0 million). Average full-time equivalent employment fell to 2,313 (2,375).
© Shippax
aug 14 2026
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