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Diana Shipping Inc. Announces the Completion of Sale and Leaseback Transactions of m/v New Orleans and m/v Santa Barbara

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Diana Shipping Inc. (NYSE: DSX) announced the sale and leaseback of two Capesize vessels, m/v New Orleans and m/v Santa Barbara, generating gross proceeds of US$66.4 million (US$33.2 million each). The company will bareboat charter-in these vessels for eight years, with purchase options available after three years. With the completion of this transaction, alongside the sale of m/v Baltimore and acquisition of nine new vessels, Diana Shipping's fleet will comprise 43 dry bulk vessels, totaling approximately 4.5 million dwt and a weighted average age of 10.62 years.

Positive
  • Gross proceeds of US$66.4 million from vessel sale and leaseback.
  • Expansion of fleet to 43 dry bulk vessels, enhancing operational capacity.
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  • None.

ATHENS, Greece, Sept. 12, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Diana Shipping Inc. (NYSE: DSX), (the “Company”), a global shipping company specializing in the ownership and bareboat charter-in of dry bulk vessels, today announced that, through two separate wholly-owned subsidiaries, it has completed the previously announced sale and leaseback agreements with two unaffiliated Japanese third parties for the 2015-built Capesize dry bulk vessel, m/v New Orleans, and the 2015-built Capesize dry bulk vessel, m/v Santa Barbara. The Company’s gross proceeds are US$66.4 million (US$33.2 million each). As part of the agreements, the Company will bareboat charter-in the vessels for a period of eight years and have purchase options beginning at the end of the third year of their bareboat charter period. The charters of m/v New Orleans and m/v Santa Barbara commenced on September 8, 2022 and September 12, 2022, respectively.

Upon completion of the previously announced sale of the m/v Baltimore and the acquisition of the nine dry bulk vessels, Diana Shipping Inc.’s fleet will consist of 43 dry bulk vessels (4 Newcastlemax, 11 Capesize, 5 Post-Panamax, 6 Kamsarmax, 8 Panamax and 9 Ultramax). As of today, the combined carrying capacity of the Company’s fleet, including the m/v Baltimore and excluding the nine dry bulk vessels not yet delivered, is approximately 4.5 million dwt with a weighted average age of 10.62 years. A table describing the current Diana Shipping Inc. fleet can be found on the Company’s website, www.dianashippinginc.com. Information contained on the Company’s website does not constitute a part of this press release.

About the Company

Diana Shipping Inc. is a global provider of shipping transportation services through its ownership and bareboat charter-in of dry bulk vessels. The Company’s vessels are employed primarily on short to medium-term time charters and transport a range of dry bulk cargoes, including such commodities as iron ore, coal, grain and other materials along worldwide shipping routes.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Matters discussed in this press release may constitute forward-looking statements. The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides safe harbor protections for forward-looking statements in order to encourage companies to provide prospective information about their business. Forward-looking statements include statements concerning plans, objectives, goals, strategies, future events or performance, and underlying assumptions and other statements, which are other than statements of historical facts.

The Company desires to take advantage of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and is including this cautionary statement in connection with this safe harbor legislation. The words “believe,” “anticipate,” “intends,” “estimate,” “forecast,” “project,” “plan,” “potential,” “may,” “should,” “expect,” “pending” and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements.

The forward-looking statements in this press release are based upon various assumptions, many of which are based, in turn, upon further assumptions, including without limitation, Company management’s examination of historical operating trends, data contained in the Company’s records and other data available from third parties. Although the Company believes that these assumptions were reasonable when made, because these assumptions are inherently subject to significant uncertainties and contingencies that are difficult or impossible to predict and are beyond the Company’s control, the Company cannot assure you that it will achieve or accomplish these expectations, beliefs or projections.

In addition to these important factors, other important factors that, in the Company’s view, could cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements include the severity, magnitude and duration of the COVID-19 pandemic, including impacts of the pandemic and of businesses’ and governments’ responses to the pandemic on our operations, personnel, and on the demand for seaborne transportation of bulk products; the strength of world economies and currencies, general market conditions, including fluctuations in charter rates and vessel values, changes in demand for dry bulk shipping capacity, changes in the Company’s operating expenses, including bunker prices, drydocking and insurance costs, the market for the Company’s vessels, availability of financing and refinancing, changes in governmental rules and regulations or actions taken by regulatory authorities, potential liability from pending or future litigation, general domestic and international political conditions, including risks associated with the continuing conflict between Russia and Ukraine and related sanctions, potential disruption of shipping routes due to accidents or political events, vessel breakdowns and instances of off-hires and other factors. Please see the Company’s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for a more complete discussion of these and other risks and uncertainties. The Company undertakes no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statement, or to make any other forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.


FAQ

What is the recent announcement by Diana Shipping Inc. regarding vessel transactions?

Diana Shipping announced the sale and leaseback of two Capesize vessels, generating US$66.4 million in gross proceeds.

How will Diana Shipping's fleet change after the recent sales?

Post-transactions, Diana Shipping's fleet will include 43 dry bulk vessels with a total carrying capacity of approximately 4.5 million dwt.

What are the terms of the vessel lease agreements by Diana Shipping?

Diana Shipping will bareboat charter-in the vessels for eight years, with purchase options starting at the end of year three.

When did the charters for m/v New Orleans and m/v Santa Barbara commence?

The m/v New Orleans charter started on September 8, 2022, and the m/v Santa Barbara charter began on September 12, 2022.

Diana Shipping, Inc.

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