Toro Corp. Announces Record Date for the Proposed Spin-Off of its Handysize Tanker Business

Rhea-AI Summary

Toro Corp. (NASDAQ: TORO) has announced key dates for the spin-off of its Handysize tanker business through its wholly owned subsidiary, Robin Energy Shareholders will receive one Robin common share for every eight Toro common shares held at the close of business on April 7, 2025 (Record Date), with distribution expected around April 14, 2025.

The spin-off completion is contingent on Robin's registration statement (Form 20-F) being declared effective and approval for listing on the Nasdaq Capital Market. Toro Corp. currently operates a fleet of five vessels with a total capacity of 0.1 million dwt, comprising one Handysize tanker and four 5,000 cbm LPG carriers, providing international energy transportation services.

Positive

• Strategic separation of Handysize tanker business could enhance operational focus
• Shareholders to receive direct ownership in new specialized entity

Negative

• Significant reduction in fleet size after spin-off could impact revenue potential
• No guarantee of spin-off completion due to pending regulatory approvals

Insights

Corporate Restructuring Analyst

Toro Corp's announcement of the spin-off record date for its Handysize tanker business represents a significant corporate restructuring with moderate implications for shareholders. The company is separating just one Handysize tanker from its current five-vessel fleet into a new entity called Robin Energy , with shareholders receiving one Robin share for every eight Toro shares held.

This spin-off appears notably small in scale. Post-transaction, Toro will retain its four LPG carriers while the new Robin entity will hold just the single Handysize tanker. The information provided raises questions about the strategic rationale and economics behind separating a single vessel into a standalone public company, especially considering the administrative costs and regulatory requirements associated with maintaining a separate Nasdaq listing.

From a structural perspective, the transaction mechanics are straightforward: April 7 record date with distribution around April 14. However, several contingencies remain, including SEC approval of Robin's registration statement and Nasdaq listing approval. The decision to use an 8:1 distribution ratio rather than a simpler ratio suggests careful calibration of the new entity's share structure and potential trading price.

Without financial details on the operational performance of the Handysize tanker versus the LPG carriers, it's difficult to assess whether this separation will meaningfully enhance or diminish shareholder value. This appears to be primarily a corporate restructuring that will change Toro's asset composition rather than a transaction with clear immediate financial benefits.

LIMASSOL, Cyprus, March 24, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Toro Corp. (NASDAQ: TORO) (“Toro”, or the “Company”) an international energy transportation services company, announced today that, in relation to the previously announced spin-off of its wholly owned subsidiary, Robin Energy Ltd. (“Robin”), the record date has been set to April 7, 2025 (the “Record Date”), and the Company expects to complete the distribution of Robin common shares on or about April 14, 2025. In the spin-off, Toro shareholders will receive one common share of Robin for every eight Toro common shares held at the close of business on the Record Date.

Additional information regarding Robin and the proposed spin-off transaction may be found in Robin’s amended registration statement on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. The proposed distribution and spin-off remain subject to, among other things, the registration statement on Form 20-F being declared effective and the approval of the listing of Robin’s common shares on the Nasdaq Capital Market. There can be no assurance that the distribution or the spinoff will occur or, if they do occur, of their terms or timing. A copy of the registration statement on Form 20-F is available at www.sec.gov. The information in the filed registration statement on Form 20-F is not final and remains subject to change.

About Toro Corp.

Toro Corp. is an international energy transportation services company with a fleet of tankers and LPG carriers that carry crude oil, petroleum products and petrochemical gases worldwide. Toro Corp. currently owns a fleet of five vessels with an aggregate capacity of 0.1 million dwt, which consists of one Handysize tanker and four 5,000 cbm LPG carriers.

Toro is incorporated under the laws of the Republic of the Marshall Islands. The Company's common shares trade on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “TORO”.

For more information, please visit the Company’s website at www.torocorp.com. Information on our website does not constitute a part of this press release.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Matters discussed in this press release may constitute forward-looking statements. We intend such forward-looking statements to be covered by the safe harbor provisions for forward-looking statements contained in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). 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, and include statements relating to the expected benefit of the intended spin-off transaction, the expected timing of the completion of the spin-off transaction and the transaction terms. We are including this cautionary statement in connection with this safe harbor legislation. The words “believe”, “anticipate”, “intend”, “estimate”, “forecast”, “project”, “plan”, “potential”, “will”, “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, our management’s examination of historical operating trends, data contained in our records and other data available from third parties. Although we believe that these assumptions were reasonable when made, because these assumptions are inherently subject to significant uncertainties and contingencies which are difficult or impossible to predict and are beyond our control, we cannot assure you that we will achieve or accomplish these forward-looking statements, including these expectations, beliefs or projections. We undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. In addition to these important factors, other important factors that, in our view, could cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed in the forward‐looking statements include the effects of the proposed Spin-Off, our business strategy, expected capital spending and other plans and objectives for future operations, including our ability to expand our business as a new entrant to the tanker and liquefied petroleum gas shipping industry, market conditions and trends, including volatility and cyclicality in charter rates (particularly for vessels employed in the spot voyage market or pools), factors affecting supply and demand for vessels, such as fluctuations in demand for and the price of the products we transport, fluctuating vessel values, changes in worldwide fleet capacity, opportunities for the profitable operations of vessels in the segments of the shipping industry in which we operate and global economic and financial conditions, including interest rates, inflation and the growth rates of world economies, our ability to realize the expected benefits of vessel acquisitions or sales and the effects of any change in our fleet’s size or composition, increased transactions costs and other adverse effects (such as lost profit) due to any failure to consummate any sale of our vessels, our future financial condition, operating results, future revenues and expenses, future liquidity and the adequacy of cash flows from our operations, our relationships with our current and future service providers and customers, including the ongoing performance of their obligations, dependence on their expertise, compliance with applicable laws, and any impacts on our reputation due to our association with them, the availability of debt or equity financing on acceptable terms and our ability to comply with the covenants contained in agreements relating thereto, in particular due to economic, financial or operational reasons, , our continued ability to enter into time charters, voyage charters or pool arrangements with existing and new customers and pool operators and to re-charter our vessels upon the expiry of the existing charters or pool agreements, any failure by our contractual counterparties to meet their obligations including bunker prices, dry-docking, insurance costs, costs associated with regulatory compliance and costs associated with climate change,, changes in our operating and capitalized expenses, our ability to fund future capital expenditures and investments in the acquisition and refurbishment of our vessels (including the amount and nature thereof and the timing of completion thereof, the delivery and commencement of operations dates, expected downtime and lost revenue), instances of off-hire, fluctuations in interest rates and currencies, including the value of the U.S. dollar relative to other currencies, any malfunction or disruption of information technology systems and networks that our operations rely on or any impact of a possible cybersecurity breach, existing or future disputes, proceedings or litigation, future sales of our securities in the public market, our ability to maintain compliance with applicable listing standards or the delisting of our common shares, volatility in our share price, potential conflicts of interest involving members of our board of directors, senior management and certain of our service providers that are related parties, general domestic and international political conditions, such as political instability, or events or conflicts (including armed conflicts, such as the war in Ukraine and the conflict in the Middle East), acts of piracy or maritime aggression, such as recent maritime incidents involving vessels in and around the Red Sea, sanctions “trade wars” and potential governmental requisitioning of our vessels during a period of war or emergency, global public health threats and major outbreaks of disease, any material cybersecurity incident, changes in seaborne and other transportation, including due to the maritime incidents in and around the Red Sea, fluctuating demand for tanker and LPG carriers and/or disruption of shipping routes due to accidents, political events, international sanctions, international hostilities and instability, piracy, smuggling or acts of terrorism, changes in governmental rules and regulations or actions taken by regulatory authorities, including changes to environmental regulations applicable to the shipping industry and to vessel rules and regulations, as well as changes in inspection procedures and import and export controls, inadequacies in our insurance coverage, developments in tax laws, treaties or regulations or their interpretation in any country in which we operate and changes in our tax treatment or classification, the impact of climate change, adverse weather and natural disasters, accidents or the occurrence of other unexpected events, including in relation to the operational risks associated with transporting crude oil and/or refined petroleum products. Please see our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission for a more complete discussion of these and other risks and uncertainties. The information set forth herein speaks only as of the date hereof, and we disclaim any intention or obligation to update any forward‐looking statements as a result of developments occurring after the date of this communication.

CONTACT DETAILS

For further information please contact:

Petros Panagiotidis
Toro Corp.
Email: ir@torocorp.com

FAQ

When is the record date for Toro Corp's (TORO) Handysize tanker business spin-off?

The record date is set for April 7, 2025, with distribution expected around April 14, 2025.

What is the distribution ratio for TORO's Robin Energy spin-off?

Shareholders will receive one Robin common share for every eight Toro common shares held.

What conditions need to be met for TORO's spin-off to be completed?

The spin-off requires Robin's Form 20-F registration to be declared effective and approval for listing on Nasdaq Capital Market.

What is the current fleet composition of Toro Corp (TORO)?

Toro owns five vessels: one Handysize tanker and four 5,000 cbm LPG carriers, with total capacity of 0.1 million dwt.