Clarkson PLC (CKN.L)
Operating quietly behind the scenes of global trade, this shipping services giant helps move cargoes across the world's oceans.
Is Clarkson PLC a good stock for a UK beginner?
The honest version: There's no rating here and nothing for sale. In its favour: Market leader in maritime broking. Worth weighing: Revenues dipped over the past year. Below, we lay out what it does, what its numbers mean, and the honest risks, so you can decide for yourself.
Over about 2 years to 2026-07-31. This is the share price only - reinvesting the dividends would add to it. Past performance is not a guide to the future, and it could just as easily have fallen.
How much has Clarkson PLC actually fallen?
Over the last 2 years of daily prices, Clarkson PLC fell as much as −34% from a high to a later low. Drops of this size are a normal part of owning a share - worth knowing in advance, so a dip doesn't come as a shock.
Worst peak-to-trough fall in the daily closing price over the period we hold. Past falls are not a forecast - it can fall further, or recover.
Based on beta - how much the price swings versus the whole market. Bumpier isn't bad; it just means a rougher ride, which matters more the sooner you might need the money.
Prices move on results, news and the mood of the whole market - no single headline explains a day, and a quiet week is usually just noise, not a signal.
Successful expansion into green shipping advisory services.
Structural shifts away from traditional shipping routes.
What does Clarkson PLC do?
This maritime veteran acts as a global matchmaker, connecting companies that need to ship heavy goods with the cargo vessels and port services ready to carry them. It earns its keep through brokerage commissions and fees on these complex transactions. A key detail to keep an eye on is how smoothly global trade routes flow, as any bumps on the water directly influence activity levels.
On our factor screen it looks strongest on quality and momentum, and weakest on growth.
- ✓Pays a dividend - about 2.4% a year
- !Revenue slipped about 5% over the year
- ✓Low debt - a sturdier balance sheet
- Quality screens high (73/100)
- Market leader in maritime broking
- Extremely high gross margins
- Established track record of paying dividends
- Growth screens low (17/100)
- Sudden drops in international trade volumes
- Geopolitical conflicts disrupting major shipping lanes
- Economic recessions reducing demand for raw material transport
What do Clarkson PLC's numbers mean?
Does Clarkson PLC pay a dividend?
Yes - Clarkson PLC currently pays a dividend of about 2.4% a year (the yearly payout as a share of the price). A dividend is a slice of profit handed to shareholders; the yield moves as the price moves, and a company can cut or stop it.
What do the numbers say about Clarkson PLC's dividend?
There's no rating here, and we don't judge whether the dividend will continue - that would be advice. Here are the figures income investors usually look at, and what each one means, so you can weigh it up yourself.
Figures are from the latest available data and can be distorted by one-off results. Past payments don't predict future ones, and a dividend can be cut at any time. This lays out the numbers to help you understand them - it is not a view on what will happen.
When does Clarkson PLC report earnings, and how did recent quarters go?
Clarkson PLC is next scheduled to report on about 2026-08-03 - dates can move, and we don't predict results; this just tells you when to look.
Each quarter a company reports its results against what analysts expected. ‘Beating’ or ‘missing’ is about that expectation, not whether the business is doing well in absolute terms.
See who else reports over the next two weeks →
Reported vs expected earnings per share (EPS) from published results; the expectation is the analyst consensus, not our view. Report dates are estimates that can move.
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An illustrative range for the year ahead, with the assumption behind each case — not a prediction or a price target.
What are the pros and cons of Clarkson PLC?
How many points the write-up makes each way — a balance check, not a score or verdict.
- Market leader in maritime broking
- Extremely high gross margins
- Established track record of paying dividends
- Lower than average share price volatility
- Revenues dipped over the past year
- Recent earnings showed a notable decline
- Tied heavily to the cyclical: A business whose sales and profits rise and fall with the wider economy - booming in good times, sinking in downturns. Miners, carmakers and banks are classic examples. shipping industry
- Sudden drops in international trade volumes
- Geopolitical conflicts disrupting major shipping lanes
- Economic recessions reducing demand for raw material transport
The write-up's own warning lights — if these start happening, the case above changes.
- A sharp, sustained drop in global maritime transaction volumes
- Major regulatory changes that disrupt traditional brokerage models
Built from public filings & market prices, checked for an education-only tone, and never a price target. How we make these →
This plain-English summary was auto-generated on 2026-08-02 from public data and checked for an education-only, no-advice tone (the figures above carry their own, usually fresher, 'as of' date). It's information, never a recommendation.