Overall assessment of risks and opportunities

The risks and opportunities for the HHLA Group reflect possible positive or negative deviations from the reported forecast.

The HHLA Group’s risk position is principally characterised by market risks. Major factors influencing the risk and opportunity profile are the global economic trend – primarily with regard to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic – as well as ongoing geopolitical tensions and developments on the market and in the competitive environment. The development of these factors is monitored closely, and controllable costs and capital expenditure – where scalable – are adjusted flexibly in line with foreseeable developments. Furthermore, IT security risks are becoming increasingly relevant and are leading to the further ramping up of corresponding security measures.

The overview below summarises the individual material risks faced by the HHLA Group, classifies them according to risk areas and lists them in order of decreasing significance.

Since the economic prospects and the assessment of customer- and competitor-related market risks are unpredictable, this description of risks and opportunities merely serves as a snapshot. Changes in the HHLA Group’s risk and opportunity profile are regularly reported in the half-yearly financial report and – where material – in the interim statements for the first and third quarters.

There are no discernible risks at present that could jeopardise HHLA’s continued existence. The Executive Board of HHLA is confident that it will be able to exploit any future opportunities while avoiding exposure to unacceptably high risks. The following section describes the material risks and opportunities identified at Group level, taking into account any measures which have been put in place. No other material risks have currently been identified, while those that do exist are largely insured against.