CTRM vs DAC: Which Is the Better Buy in 2026?
Last updated August 2026
Short answer
CTRM (Castor Maritime) and DAC (Danaos Corporation) share investment themes but are different businesses. The right pick is whichever thesis you actually believe, sized so you are not over-concentrated in one theme.
CTRM vs DAC: the tie-breaker metrics
Same yardstick, side by side (as of August 2026). Valuation lined up like this is most meaningful for two names in the same corner of the market, which these are. Figures are approximate; verify before investing.
| Metric | CTRM | DAC | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trailing P/E | 0.58 | 5.00 | Valuation on the last 12 months. A big drop from trailing to forward means the market expects earnings to jump, so more growth is already in the price. |
| Beta | 1.19 | 0.89 | Volatility vs the market. Above 1 swings harder than the index; below 1 is steadier. Higher beta means bigger drawdowns to hold through. |
| Price vs 52-week range | 29% of range | 97% of range | Where today's price sits between the 52-week low and high. Near the high is momentum with less margin of safety; near the low is out of favor or a discount, depending on why. |
| Price / book | 0.03 | 0.66 | How much you pay over book value. Very high can signal an asset-light, high-return business or a rich price. |
Before you buy: how CTRM and DAC affect your concentration
The metrics above tell you which is the marginally better business. The bigger risk for most people is not picking the slightly worse stock, it is over-concentrating. CTRM and DAC share themes, so owning both, or adding either to what you already hold, can quietly push a large share of your portfolio into one bet.
This is the part a generic comparison page cannot answer, because it depends on what you own. Connect your brokerage and Walnut shows your real, combined CTRM and DAC exposure, flags overlap with your existing positions, and tells you if adding one would tip you past a concentration you are comfortable with, read-only by default, with your login staying at your broker. Walnut is not an investment adviser.
What does Castor Maritime (CTRM) do?
Castor Maritime Inc. is an international shipping company that owns and operates a small fleet of dry bulk carriers and containerships, chartering them out to move cargo worldwide. In Q1 2026 it operated an average of about 9 vessels, down from roughly 12 a year earlier after prior vessel sales, while its Daily Time Charter Equivalent rate rose to about $14,926 from $9,555. In December 2024 Castor acquired a roughly 74% stake in MPC Munchmeyer Petersen Capital AG, a Frankfurt-listed investment and asset manager focused on maritime and energy infrastructure with several billion euros in assets under management, adding an asset-management segment on top of the vessel-operating business. The company had earlier spun off its tanker fleet into a separate entity, Toro Corp, in 2023.
What does Danaos Corporation (DAC) do?
Danaos Corporation is one of the world's largest independent owners of containerships, chartering its vessels to leading global liner companies under time charters. As of early 2026 its fleet included roughly 75 containerships aggregating about 477,000 TEUs, with a large orderbook of vessels under construction, plus a growing dry bulk business of Capesize carriers and Newcastlemax newbuildings. Danaos does not run liner routes itself; it is a ship lessor, so its revenue comes from charter (lease) payments rather than from moving cargo at spot freight rates. That makes contracted charter coverage the single most important driver of its results.
CTRM vs DAC: how do they differ?
Both fit overlapping themes, but they are not interchangeable. The useful comparison is which set of drivers and risks you want exposure to.
- CTRM drivers: Charter rates and the dry bulk cycle; Pivot toward asset management.
- DAC drivers: Contracted charter backlog and cash-flow visibility; Fleet renewal and newbuilding orderbook.
Which fits which kind of investor
A faster-growing, richer-valued name usually swings harder, so it suits a longer horizon and a higher tolerance for volatility; a steadier, more cash-generative business suits a more conservative or income-minded investor. The honest test is which set of risks you could hold through a drawdown: The dominant risk is that Castor is a highly speculative micro-cap with a long history of reverse stock splits and dilution, which has repeatedly eroded per-share value. For DAC, the core risk is shipping cyclicality at renewal: while Danaos has high near-term charter coverage, charters eventually expire, and if container rates are weak when vessels come off contract, new charters may be signed at lower rates.
CTRM or DAC: which should you pick?
CTRM vs DAC: the full fundamentals
CTRM. Figures are approximate, tied to the asOf date, and should be verified against the latest filings before acting. Standard valuation multiples are difficult to apply here because a large share of reported net income came from non-operating investment gains that may not repeat, so headline earnings can overstate the durable, cash-generating part of the business. The very small market capitalization, thin liquidity, and history of dilution mean the shares can be highly volatile and are best treated as speculative.
DAC. Figures are approximate, tied to the asOf date, and should be verified against the latest filings and quote before acting. Shipping stocks like Danaos often trade at low headline earnings multiples because the market discounts the cyclical, contracted nature of the cash flows and the eventual roll-off of charters. Book value, fleet value, and charter coverage frequently matter as much as a simple P/E for this kind of name, and reported earnings can be lumpy from vessel sales and non-cash items.
Headline figures (approximate, Jul 2026): CTRM shows revenue (q1 2026) ~$21.3 million (vessel ~$11.9M plus service ~$9.3M); figures approximate, verify live, net income (q1 2026) ~$69.2 million, but mostly from a ~$46.5M gain on equity-method investments plus ~$18.5M other income, not core shipping, market cap ~$20 million (stock around $2 per share, roughly 9.7 million shares outstanding), fleet ~9 vessels operated on average in Q1 2026, dry bulk plus containership, down from ~12 a year earlier; DAC shows operating revenue (q1 2026) ~$254 million, roughly flat year over year (approximate; verify live), net income (q1 2026) ~$140 million, or roughly $7.70 per diluted share; adjusted net income ~$122 million (~$6.72) (approximate), charter backlog ~$4.1 billion of contracted revenue extending toward 2038, with near-full current-year and high next-year container coverage (approximate), fleet ~75 containerships (~477,000 TEUs) plus a large orderbook, and a growing Capesize dry bulk fleet with newbuildings (approximate).
The bottom line: CTRM vs DAC
CTRM and DAC are related but distinct: same themes, different businesses and risks. Neither wins in the abstract; the right pick is whichever thesis you actually believe, sized so you are not over-concentrated in one theme. Walnut can show your combined CTRM and DAC exposure against your real portfolio. It is not an investment adviser.
Wondering how CTRM or DAC fits the portfolio you already own? Walnut is an AI investing app that connects your brokerage read-only and answers questions like that about your actual holdings: overlap, concentration, and how each position tracks the S&P 500. Compare the best AI portfolio analyzers or see the best AI investing apps in 2026.
Investing in Castor Maritime with AI
Connect the broker you already use and ask Walnut's AI how CTRM fits what you actually hold: whether you own it already through a fund, what it would do to your concentration, and how it has tracked the S&P 500. Read-only by default, and you approve anything before it reaches your broker.
FAQ
What is the difference between CTRM and DAC?
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Castor Maritime Inc. Danaos Corporation is one of the world's largest independent owners of containerships, chartering its vessels to leading global liner companies under time charters. They show up together because they share investment themes, but they are different businesses, so the better fit depends on which thesis you are expressing.
Is CTRM or DAC the better stock?
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Neither is universally better; they suit different views and risk levels. Walnut is informational, not investment advice. Compare what each does, the tie-breaker metrics above, and the risks, then decide which fits your thesis and what you already own.
Which is cheaper, CTRM or DAC?
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A lower multiple is not automatically the better buy: a richer valuation can be justified by faster growth, and a lower one can reflect real risk. Weigh the multiple against how fast each business is compounding.
Should you own both CTRM and DAC?
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Because they share themes, owning both concentrates you in that theme. That can be intentional (a focused bet) or accidental (less diversification than it looks). Walnut can show your combined exposure across both, and whether adding either over-concentrates you, before you buy.
What are the risks of CTRM vs DAC?
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CTRM: The dominant risk is that Castor is a highly speculative micro-cap with a long history of reverse stock splits and dilution, which has repeatedly eroded per-share value. Its recent reported profits leaned heavily on investment and foreign-exchange gains rather than shipping operations, so headline net income may not recur and can reverse if markets move. Shipping itself is deeply cyclical, and a small fleet leaves Castor sub-scale versus far larger dry bulk operators. The related-party structure, with key financing provided by Toro Corp (an entity controlled by the chairman and CEO), creates potential conflicts of interest and governance concerns. Nasdaq minimum-bid-price compliance and possible future dilution or splits remain live risks. Low market capitalization and thin liquidity can also make the shares volatile and hard to exit at a stable price. DAC: The core risk is shipping cyclicality at renewal: while Danaos has high near-term charter coverage, charters eventually expire, and if container rates are weak when vessels come off contract, new charters may be signed at lower rates. Counterparty risk matters because revenue depends on liner companies honoring long charters, and a major customer default during a downturn would hurt. The heavy newbuilding orderbook and dry bulk expansion require large capital commitments and expose Danaos to delivery timing, financing costs, and the risk of adding capacity into a soft market, which can also pressure industry-wide rates. Vessel values and the fleet's residual worth move with the cycle and can swing book value. Fuel, environmental regulation, and geopolitical disruptions to trade routes add further volatility, and as a shipping stock DAC can trade with high beta and meaningful price swings.
Walnut is informational, not investment advice. This page is descriptive and not a recommendation to buy or sell CTRM or DAC; figures are approximate and dated (as of August 2026). Verify current data before investing.