What Ernst Russ Group does

Ernst Russ AG is a publicly listed ship-owner and maritime investment manager headquartered in Hamburg, Germany. The company operates a diversified fleet of 26 vessels on water plus 6 newbuildings on order, comprising container vessels across size classes from feeder (700 TEU) to larger units (up to 13,400 TEU), multipurpose F500-type vessels equipped with two Liebherr on-board cranes for tandem lifts up to 500 tonnes, and a handysize bulker. Container capacity totals 54,257 TEU, and own vessel assets stand at EUR 281.2 million as of 31 March 2026.

The business generates revenue primarily through time-charter agreements with shipping companies and maritime operators — examples include a seven-year charter of MS Ronnie and MS Charlie to dship Carriers for project cargo — supplemented by maritime investment management services delivered to shareholders and co-investors via joint ventures (JV1–JV4) with strategic partners including Eimskip. The order book diversifies the fleet further: four intermediate-class tanker newbuildings (18,500 dwt each, delivery December 2026–May 2027) and two 2,280 TEU container newbuildings via JV1 (delivery H2 2028). The company has 33,689,311 shares outstanding, is listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange Scale segment (ticker ERAG, ISIN DE000A161077), and is controlled by the Döhle group (combined ~72%) with a 28% free float.

The go-to-market is direct enterprise engagement with charter counterparties, supported by an active investor relations program (quarterly reporting, analyst coverage from Montega, Metzler, mwb, and Quirin, IR website, and participation in investor conferences). Revenue for 2025 was EUR 158.1 million, the company employs 28 staff ashore, and operates with a 73.3% equity ratio — financial characteristics consistent with a conservative, capital-intensive shipping business using public-market access to fund fleet renewal.

Name

Ernst Russ Group

Legal name

Ernst Russ AG

Website

https://ernst-russ.de

Company type

Public

Founded year

1893

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Ernst Russ AG is a publicly listed Hamburg-based ship-owner and maritime investment manager operating a diversified fleet of container vessels, multipurpose vessels, a handysize bulker, and an order book of newbuildings, generating revenue through long-term time-charter agreements with shipping companies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Hamburg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Vessel Chartering: The primary revenue stream is chartering owned and joint venture vessels to shipping companies and logistics operators. Vessels operate under time charter agreements providing stable, recurring charter income.
2. Maritime Investment Management: The company manages maritime investments and holds interests in joint ventures for vessel operations, generating management fees and profit participations.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Ernst Russ AG is a publicly listed ship-owner and maritime investment manager operating a diversified fleet of 26 vessels on water plus 6 incoming newbuildings, comprising container vessels of various size classes (700 to 13,400 TEU), multipurpose vessels with heavy-lift capabilities, and a handysize bulker. The company generates revenue primarily through time charter agreements with shipping companies, providing stable recurring charter income, and also manages maritime investments on behalf of investors and shareholders through joint venture arrangements.

Product overview

Ernst Russ AG operates as a publicly listed ship-owner and maritime investment manager based in Hamburg, Germany. The company operates a fleet of 26 vessels on water plus 6 incoming newbuildings, comprising container vessels of various size classes (700 to 13,400 TEU), supplemented by multipurpose vessels (including F500-type vessels with heavy-lift capabilities) and a handysize bulker. The fleet includes wholly-owned vessels and joint venture vessels, with container ships being the primary focus supplemented by tanker newbuildings currently on order. The company also provides maritime investment management services to investors and shareholders.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Container Vessel Fleet

Quantifiable outcome

• 73.3% equity ratio demonstrates strong financial stability
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• dship CarrierscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 26 February 2026dship Carriers is a European company specializing in project cargo that has chartered MS Ronnie and MS Charlie multipurpose vessels from Ernst Russ for seven years. The ships feature two Liebherr bord cranes for tandem lifts up to 500 tons and enable combined transport of heavy cargo, project cargo, and conventional bulk cargo.
• mwb fairtrade Wertpapierhandelsbank AGcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributormwb fairtrade Wertpapierhandelsbank AG serves as Designated Sponsor for Ernst Russ AG on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange Scale segment, providing liquidity support and market making services for the listed shares.
• EimskipcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEimskip is a strategic joint venture partner with Ernst Russ. The joint venture operates container vessels including a 2,280 TEU newbuilding vessel. The partnership manages multiple vessels under joint venture arrangements for diversified fleet operations.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• MPC Container Ships: Publicly listed pure-play feeder and mid-size container vessel owner. Closely comparable business model as a publicly listed container shipowner pursuing time-charter employment of a diversified fleet.
• Costamare Inc. Publicly listed containership owner and operator with both owned and JV vessels chartered out long-term. Directly comparable to Ernst Russ as a publicly listed container shipowner with a charter-driven model and JV structures.
• Eurodry Ltd: Publicly listed smaller-cap drybulk owner-operator focused on ultramax and panamax bulkers under time charters. Comparable as a publicly listed smaller-cap shipowner with a charter-out revenue model.
• Diana Shipping Inc. Publicly listed drybulk shipping owner with capesize, kamsarmax, panamax, and ultramax tonnage employed primarily on time charters. Comparable business model to Ernst Russ as a listed shipowner focused on time-charter visibility.
• Eimskip: Publicly listed Icelandic container shipping and logistics company. Already an Ernst Russ JV partner but operates a comparable container vessel business model with focus on North Atlantic trades.
• dship Carriers: European project cargo and multipurpose vessel operator. Both an Ernst Russ charter customer and a peer operating multipurpose vessels in similar heavy-lift/project cargo trades.

Broad incumbents

• Hapag-Lloyd AG: Hamburg-headquartered global container liner major. A broader incumbent in the German container shipping ecosystem that competes for charter tonnage and operational talent, though it operates liner services rather than pure shipownership.
• Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement: Major Hamburg-based ship management and maritime services group. Comparable as a Hamburg-based maritime services incumbent with overlapping operational expertise in vessel management and crewing.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ernst-russ-ag

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ernst Russ Group