WE’RE nearly halfway through the year, and let’s face it — it’s been a bumpy ride so far.

So what better time to look at what the rest of 2019 holds in store, and who better to ask than that rarest of beasts — an equity research analyst.

While banks are currently shutting shop on their shipping research coverage at an alarming rate, Michael Webber, Wells Fargo’s superstar head of shipping and LNG research, is still very much there and joins us this week to discuss his views on where the industry is headed over the next six months.

On the agenda is the LNG outlook, 2020 and the state of the equity markets. But we also turn our attention to the issue of industry leadership — a topic that Mike rarely pulls punches on.

“You have leaders like [Citi’s head of transport] Michael Parker working to push the industry forward, set against the backdrop a decaying US ecosystem that often seems more concerned with lubricating the status quo than it is with thought leadership,” Mike tells Lloyd’s List editor Richard Meade. “The space is crying out for more Michael Parkers and [former Euronav chief executive] Paddy Rodgers, and fewer sycophants and predators.” 

Don’t forget, you can now subscribe to the Lloyd’s List Podcast via iTunes and Spotify, as well as most other podcast providers. And make sure you are registered for a free account on Lloydslist.com so you can receive our Daily Briefing e-mail.