The following video is part of our "Motley Fool Conversations" series, in which energy editor and analyst Joel South discusses topics around the investing world.

In this edition, Joel discusses the struggles the shipping industry has suffered through over the past year. The industry is suffering from an oversupply of ships, causing dayrates to fall to breakeven levels and forcing debt-heavy companies to suffer further. It looks like the worst is behind the industry, as the amount of ships in service is plateauing, meaning that in the near term, shipping companies can see dayrates reach levels seen three to four years ago. However, there is another way to profit handsomely from shipping companies while you wait for the dayrates to spike: master limited partnerships that offer outstanding yields while also allowing the unitholder to realize capital gains if the share prices appreciate.

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