Shares of Torm PLC (NASDAQ:TRMD) surged 5.30% in pre-market trading on Thursday, following the release of the company's second-quarter earnings report that significantly exceeded analyst expectations, particularly on the sales front.

The Danish shipping company reported quarterly earnings per share (EPS) of $0.58, slightly beating the analyst consensus estimate of $0.57 by 1.75%. However, it was Torm's sales figures that truly impressed investors and drove the stock higher. The company reported quarterly sales of $315.20 million, dramatically outperforming the analyst consensus estimate of $208.19 million by a whopping 51.40%.

Despite the positive market reaction, it's worth noting that Torm's Q2 results represent a year-over-year decline. The reported EPS of $0.58 marks a 71.29% decrease from the $2.02 per share earned in the same period last year. Similarly, sales of $315.20 million reflect a 27.99% decrease from $437.70 million in the prior year's quarter. Nevertheless, the company's ability to exceed market expectations in a challenging environment for the shipping industry appears to have boosted investor confidence, driving the significant stock price increase in pre-market trading.