CMA CGM’s earnings have ballooned to more than $7bn, but the world’s third-largest container ship operator still holds a cautious outlook in the face of rising inflation and energy costs.

The Rodolphe Saade-led owner of 199 vessels, which charters in another 380 ships, reported $7.2bn in net income for the first quarter, blowing away the profit of $2.08bn from a year earlier.