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Danaos (DAC) AI Stock Analysis

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DAC

Danaos

(NYSE:DAC)

Select Model
Rating:80Outperform
Price Target:$176.00â–²(16.67% Upside)
Action:reiterated
Date:11/05/26

DAC scores well primarily due to strong financial performance (high profitability and a conservative balance sheet) and very attractive valuation (low P/E and high dividend yield). The score is moderated by weaker near-term technical signals and free-cash-flow volatility, while the latest earnings call supports the outlook with record backlog and strong liquidity despite cost and macro/geopolitical risks.

Positive Factors
Contracted Revenue VisibilityThe record backlog and multi-year charter coverage provide substantial revenue visibility through 2029, reducing dependence on immediate spot-market conditions. This supports planning, fleet financing, and cash-flow stability while allowing management to pursue growth selectively.
Negative Factors
Volatile Free Cash FlowFree-cash-flow volatility shows that reported earnings do not consistently translate into distributable cash after investment spending. Capital-intensive vessel commitments can therefore reduce flexibility for dividends, buybacks, debt reduction, or additional growth when cash conversion weakens.

Danaos Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Container Vessels Ownership DaysTotal days the company owned container vessels during the period, which reflects fleet size and the company’s capital commitment. Growing ownership days can signal fleet expansion and future revenue potential but also imply higher fixed costs, debt needs, and capital expenditure risk if charter markets weaken.

0.002000.004000.006000.00Mar 23Jun 23Sep 23Dec 23Mar 24Jun 24Sep 24Dec 24Mar 25Jun 25Sep 25Dec 25Mar 26Jun 26
Chart Insights

Ownership days have steadily expanded over the past two years, signalling deliberate fleet growth and newbuild deliveries that underpin higher revenue potential and the company’s beefed-up contracted backlog/coverage in the near term. That expansion, however, is already raising vessel opex and interest costs and, combined with management’s selective spot exposure on some dry‑bulk tonnage, could increase earnings volatility beyond 2026—though very strong liquidity and low net leverage materially mitigate financial risk.

Data provided by:The Fly

Danaos (DAC) vs. SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY)

-20%0%20%40%60%80%100%DAC+70.59%SPY+14.28%Dec '25Jan '26Feb '26Mar '26Apr '26May '26Jun '26Jul '26Aug '26Sep '26Oct '26Nov '26
Market Cap
$2.75B
Dividend Yield
5.77%
Average Volume (3M)
147.89K
Price to Earnings (P/E)
5.1
Beta (1Y)
0.73
Revenue Growth
2.45%
EPS Growth
21.62%
Country
US
Employees
4
Sector
Industrials
Sector Strength
63
Industry
Marine Shipping

Danaos Business Overview & Revenue Model

Company Description

Danaos Corporation, operating through its subsidiaries, specializes in the ownership and management of containerships across key global markets including Australia, Asia, Europe, and the United States. The company's core business involves providing e...

How the Company Makes Money

Danaos makes money primarily by leasing its containerships to container liner companies under charter agreements. Its core revenue stream is charter hire (vessel leasing income) earned over the charter term, which may be structured as time charters t...

Danaos Earnings Call Summary

Earnings Call Date:Aug 03, 2026(Q2-2026)|% Change Since:10.07%|Next Earnings Date:Nov 09, 2026
Earnings Call SentimentPositive

The call conveys a broadly positive operational and financial picture driven by strong Dry Bulk performance, record contracted backlog, robust liquidity and very low net leverage. Key financials improved: adjusted net income (+~15% per share), adjusted EBITDA (+6.1%), Dry Bulk revenue (+57%) and higher Capesize TCE rates. Management has also made meaningful financing progress to support newbuilds. Offsetting items include flat container revenue, a notable increase in G&A (~33%), higher average indebtedness, certain noncash GAAP adjustments and continued market/geopolitical volatility. Management's cautious stance (paused buyback, disciplined approach to new investments) reflects prudent risk management amid elevated market uncertainty.

Positive Updates

Adjusted Net Income Growth
Adjusted net income of $133.1 million, or $7.29 per share, vs $117.0 million or $6.36 per share a year ago — an increase of $16.1 million and approximately 15% on a per-share basis.

Negative Updates

Container Revenue Essentially Flat and GAAP Revenue Recognition Headwind
Container vessel revenue was broadly unchanged, down $0.8 million on a base of $238.7 million. Reported revenue was also impacted by a $3.4 million reduction in noncash revenue recognition under U.S. GAAP and $1.2 million of higher off-hire charges.

Company Guidance

Management's guidance stressed strong forward visibility and cautious, accretive capital deployment: they added $683m to a record contracted revenue backlog of $4.6bn with a 4.7‑year average charter duration and contract coverage of 100% for 2026, 93% for 2027, 79% for 2028 and 61% for 2029 (100% of container operating days contracted for 2026); financial flexibility is high with $1.0bn cash, ~ $1.5bn total liquidity, net debt of $224.5m (0.3x LTM EBITDA) and 78 of 87 vessels debt‑free, while financing progress includes $236m JOLCO commitments and a $132m facility for six 1,800 TEU newbuilds and committed undrawn facilities for the construction program; management expects continued improving profitability (Q2 adjusted EBITDA $186.8m; adjusted net income $133.1m / $7.29 per share; Dry Bulk adj. EBITDA $18.8m; Capesize TCE ≈ $30,400/day) but will be selective on new investments, favor longer‑dated financing and opportunistic, accretive deployments (Alaska LNG FID anticipated around September).

Danaos Financial Statement Overview

Summary

Strong profitability and a conservative balance sheet (low-to-moderate leverage with equity building), supported by solid operating cash flow. The main drag is free cash flow volatility (including negative FCF in 2024 and weaker recent conversion versus net income), reflecting capital intensity and reinvestment swings typical in shipping.

Income Statement

86Very Positive

Balance Sheet

84Very Positive

Cash Flow

72Positive
Financial statement breakdown
BreakdownTTMDec 2025Dec 2024Dec 2023Dec 2022Dec 2021
Income Statement
Total Revenue1.06B1.04B1.01B973.58M993.34M689.50M
Gross Profit717.62M833.68M615.94M641.17M664.96M412.39M
EBITDA769.94M748.62M675.07M704.83M717.17M1.22B
Net Income540.80M494.61M505.07M576.30M559.21M1.05B
Balance Sheet
Total Assets5.45B5.11B4.34B3.66B3.40B3.63B
Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments1.23B1.04B514.23M357.84M267.67M552.43M
Total Debt1.21B1.16B734.78M404.17M529.42M1.34B
Total Liabilities1.39B1.32B918.85M644.82M839.81M1.54B
Stockholders Equity4.06B3.80B3.42B3.02B2.56B2.09B
Cash Flow
Free Cash Flow177.14M348.06M-37.59M308.26M735.61M72.39M
Operating Cash Flow700.19M644.75M621.75M576.29M934.74M428.11M
Investing Cash Flow-594.53M-325.70M-650.79M-338.53M176.57M-143.15M
Financing Cash Flow371.25M264.85M210.61M-233.62M-973.40M-220.87M

Danaos Technical Analysis

Technical Analysis SentimentNeutral
Last Price150.85

Price Trends

50DMA154.53Negative
100DMA143.01Positive
200DMA127.73Positive

Market Momentum

MACD-1.84Positive
RSI42.63Neutral
STOCH23.06Neutral

Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in stock analysis to make informed investment decisions. For DAC, the sentiment is Neutral. The current price of 150.85 is below the 20-day moving average (MA) of 154.87, below the 50-day MA of 154.53, and above the 200-day MA of 127.73, indicating a neutral trend. The MACD of -1.84 indicates Positive momentum. The RSI at 42.63 is Neutral, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 23.06 is Neutral, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Neutral sentiment for DAC.

Danaos Risk Analysis

Danaos disclosed 67 risk factors in its most recent earnings report. Danaos reported the most risks in the "Finance & Corporate" category.

Higher RiskSector Avg.Lower RiskFinance & CorporateTech & InnovationLegal & RegulatoryProductionAbility to SellMacro & Political
Finance & Corporate - Financial and accounting risks. Risks related to the execution of corporate activity and strategy

Latest Risks Added

3 New Risks
1.Our growth in the LNG sector depends on the completion of the Alaska LNG Project, and continued growth in LNG production and demand for LNG and LNG shipping.Q4, 2025
2.Trade protectionism, including in the form of tariffs, could significantly adversely affect global economic conditions, global trade volume and the demand for seaborne transportation of containerized cargo.Q4, 2025
3.The value of our investment in Star Bulk Carriers Corp. ("Star Bulk") common stock, and any investments we may make in other shipping companies from time to time, may fluctuate substantially, which may increase the volatility of our earnings and we may not realize the expected benefits from our investments.Q4, 2024

Danaos Peers Comparison

Overall Rating

UnderperformOutperform
Sector (63)

Financial Indicators

DAC against its peers
NameOverall RatingMarket CapP/E RatioROEDividend YieldRevenue GrowthEPS Growth
ESEAESEA81Outperform$427.17M3.3928.60%4.61%2.53%14.22%
GSLGSL80Outperform$1.52B4.0420.37%5.86%4.11%-5.24%
DACDAC80Outperform$2.68B5.0913.97%5.77%2.45%21.62%
NMMNMM79Outperform$2.46B4.4416.33%0.26%19.34%127.00%
CMRECMRE66Neutral$1.56B5.0115.31%3.70%-42.03%3.81%
SFLSFL64Neutral$1.53B16.219.15%7.68%-4.36%―
Sector *63Neutral$10.79B15.437.44%2.01%2.89%-14.66%

* Industrials Sector Average

Performance Comparison

0%20%40%60%80%DACCMREESEAGSLNMMSFLDec '25Jan '26Feb '26Mar '26Apr '26May '26Jun '26Jul '26Aug '26Sep '26Oct '26Nov '26
DAC and its peers over the selected period
Show on chartTickerCompany NamePriceChange% Change
DACDanaos150.8562.0569.87%
CMRECostamare12.98-1.26-8.86%
ESEAEuroseas Ltd66.208.7015.14%
GSLGlobal Ship Lease42.6510.6933.45%
NMMNavios Maritime Partners88.0035.5867.88%
SFLSfl Corporation Limited10.943.4345.63%

Danaos Corporate Events

Danaos Weighs Norwegian Listing and Minority Sale of Dry Bulk Unit

Oct 9, 2026

Danaos Corporation announced on October 9, 2026 that it is exploring a carve-out and sale of a minority stake in its dry bulk segment, with investment banks mandated to advise on a potential equity placement and listing in the Norwegian market. The d...

Glossary
BuyA stock rated as a "Buy" is expected to perform better than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock is likely to deliver higher returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
HoldA stock rated as a "Hold" is expected to perform in line with the overall market or a specific benchmark. This rating indicates that the stock is neither particularly compelling nor unfavorable for investment. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
SellA stock rated as a "Sell" is expected to perform worse than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock may deliver lower returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.

Disclaimer

This AI Analyst Stock Report is automatically generated by our AI systems using advanced algorithms and publicly available financial, technical, and market data. While the information provided aims to be accurate and insightful, it is intended for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. Any content created by an AI (Artificial Intelligence) system may contain inaccuracies and/or contain errors. Investing in stocks carries inherent risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results. This report does not account for your personal financial circumstances, objectives, or risk tolerance. Always conduct your own research or consult with a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. The analysis and recommendations provided are based on historical and current data and may not fully reflect future market conditions or unexpected developments. Neither the creators of this report nor its affiliated entities guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information presented. Use this report at your own discretion and risk.

Date of analysis: Nov 04, 2026