SHIPZ - Seanergy Maritime Reports Financial Results for the Fourth Quarter and Twelve Months Ended December 31 2023 and Declares a Cash Dividend of $0.10 Per Share | Benzinga

Other Highlights and Developments:

• Quarterly cash dividend of $0.10 per share consisting of a regular cash dividend of $0.025 per share for Q4 2023 and a special cash dividend of $0.075 per share
• Total cash dividends of $1.45 per share, or $26.4 million declared since March 2022
• Acquisition of a 2011-built Newcastlemax dry bulk vessel through a 12-month bareboat charter with a purchase option
• Acquisition of a 2013-built Japanese Capesize vessel with estimated delivery in Q2 2024
• Completion of $53.8 million in refinancings during 2023 at improved terms generating $15.0 million in additional liquidity; no loan maturities until Q2 2025
• The only Greek-based shipping company to participate in the European Union (EU) funded SAFeCRAFT project in partnership with major industry stakeholders to demonstrate the safety and viability of Sustainable Alternative Fuels (SAFs) on existing vessels

ATHENS, Greece, March 15, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Seanergy Maritime Holdings Corp. ("Seanergy" or the "Company") (NASDAQ:SHIP), announced today its financial results for the fourth quarter and twelve months ended December 31, 2023. The Company also declared a regular quarterly cash dividend of $0.025 per common share and a special cash dividend of $0.075 per common share for the fourth quarter of 2023.

For the quarter ended December 31, 2023, the Company generated Net Revenues of $39.4 million, compared to $28.5 million in the fourth quarter of 2022. Net Income and Adjusted Net Income for the quarter were $10.8 million and $11.4 million, respectively, compared to Net Income of $0.5 million and Adjusted Net Income of $0.9 million in the fourth quarter of 2022. Adjusted EBITDA for the quarter was $23.9 million, compared to $13.3 million for the same period of 2022. The daily TCE³ rate of the fleet for the fourth quarter of 2023 was $24,920, compared to $17,294 in the same period of 2022.

For the twelve-month period ended December 31, 2023, the Company generated Net Revenues of $110.2 million, compared to $125.0 million in the same period of 2022. Net Income and Adjusted Net Income for the twelve months were $2.3 million and $11.9 million, respectively, compared to Net Income of $17.2 million and Adjusted Net Income of $23.3 million in the respective period of 2022. Adjusted EBITDA for the twelve months was $53.0 million, compared to $66.6 million for the same period of 2022. The daily TCE rate of the fleet for the twelve-month period of 2023 was $17,501, compared to $20,040 in the same period of 2022. The average daily OPEX per Capesize vessel was $6,879, compared to $6,819 for the respective period of 2022.

Cash and cash-equivalents and restricted cash, as of December 31, 2023, stood at $24.9 million. Shareholders' equity at the end of the fourth quarter was $228.4 million. Long-term debt (senior loans, finance lease liability and other financial liabilities) net of deferred charges stood at $232.6 million, while the book value of the fleet, including a chartered-in Newcastlemax vessel, was $440.0 million.

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¹ Adjusted earnings per share, Adjusted Net Income, EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA are non-GAAP measures. Please see the reconciliation below of Adjusted earnings per share, Adjusted Net Income, EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA to net income, the most directly comparable U.S. GAAP measure.
² All references to number of shares, share prices, warrant prices and "per share" figures in this document are adjusted to reflect the one-for-ten reverse stock split effected on February 16, 2023.
³ TCE rate is a non-GAAP measure. Please see the reconciliation below of TCE rate to net revenues from vessels, the most directly comparable U.S. GAAP measure.

Stamatis Tsantanis, the Company's Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, stated:

"In 2023 we delivered another profitable year for Seanergy despite a very volatile Capesize market, building on our robust commercial performance, our hedging activities and the investments we have made in improving our vessels' efficiency over the years. In doing so, we successfully navigated extreme freight rate instability and achieved a healthy mix of fleet growth, accretion and cash dividends. We are executing a clear strategy that includes investing in our fleet to drive growth and efficiencies, delivering durable capital returns to shareholders and maintaining a healthy balance sheet with sustainable debt levels. The actions we have taken to grow our fleet substantially over the past three years with quality assets and further strengthen our balance sheet have us optimally positioned to reap the benefits of what looks like a very strong Capesize market.

"In the fourth quarter of 2023, we recorded net income of $10.8 million as our fleet benefited from the strong Capesize market, while our board of directors approved a special dividend of $0.075 per share in addition to our ordinary quarterly dividend of $0.025 per share. At the same time, we are constantly evaluating the most efficient ways to continue returning capital to our shareholders in the coming quarters consistent with the financial performance of the Company.

"In the fourth quarter, we also fully repaid the remaining portion of our only outstanding convertible note, eliminating the possibility of dilution for our shareholders. Moreover, in 2023 and to date, we have completed $2.5 million in share repurchases, or 490,843 shares at an average price of about $5.12, which is 44% lower than our stock's current trading price⁴. In comparison, under our recently announced ATM program, we have sales of $2.3 million, or 288,874 shares at an average price of $8.03 per share. This is evidently an accretive combination. In addition, within 2023 we closed a tender offer for the purchase of 4,038,114 of our outstanding warrants at a fraction of their value, simplifying further our capital structure. Finally, within 2023, I have also completed $1.1 million in open market purchases of Seanergy's common shares.

"During the fourth quarter of 2023, our fleet recorded a daily time charter equivalent rate of $24,920, leading to adjusted EBITDA of $23.9 million, substantially higher than the respective figures from the same period last year. For the full year period, we recorded a time charter equivalent of $17,501, exceeding the Baltic Capesize Index average of $16,389, while achieving an adjusted EBITDA of $53.0 million and net income of $2.3 million. Our proven ability to limit downside risk while also maintaining significant exposure to rising Capesize rates is encouraging and remains a central aspect of our strategy.

"Looking ahead, we are currently undergoing the strongest first quarter for the Capesize market since 2011 and we expect our commercial performance to remain solid. In terms of guidance for the first quarter of 2024, assuming that the remaining days of March are consistent with current FFA levels, we expect our daily TCE to be equal to about $23,219. Additionally, we have taken advantage of the recent upswing in freight futures levels by converting about half of our second-quarter ownership days at a fixed gross rate of approximately $28,300 in order to secure additional strong cash-flow for the Company.

"As regards our fleet developments, in 2023 we acquired our first Newcastlemax vessel through a 12-month bareboat charter with a purchase option. The vessel was delivered in the fourth quarter and commenced her employment with a first-class European charterer at a significant premium over the index. More recently, in February we agreed to acquire a 181,392 dwt Capesize bulk carrier, built in 2013 in Japan. The agreement for this acquisition was well-timed as it occurred prior to the steep upwards adjustment in vessel values witnessed over the recent weeks. Delivery is expected to take place between April and June, and we look forward to adding another high-quality vessel to our fleet acquired at an attractive price. Additionally, we extended the duration of time-charter employment on six of our vessels at index linked rates for periods ranging from 11 to 24 months.

"Concerning our ESG initiatives, we recently announced that we are the only Greek-based shipping company to participate in the EU funded SAFeCRAFT project. This collaborative approach amongst leading stakeholders of our industry, including classification societies and manufacturers, the academic community and the European Union, aims in contributing to the development of greener solutions for the existing fleet, which will have an immediate impact on our ESG objectives.

"As a brief comment on the outlook of our market, ton-mile demand is expected to exceed net fleet growth in the next two years with healthy raw material flows. The Capesize orderbook is at historically low levels, while trade volumes and the need for fleet replacement due to environmental regulations have grown considerably. The high congestion resulting from port inefficiencies after the pandemic has normalized and is now closer to the low end of the historical range. As such there is little room for further efficiency gains and more potential for disruptions that are likely to benefit our market as has been the case with the tensions in the Red Sea and the low water levels in the Panama Canal.

"Overall, we remain highly optimistic about the Company's prospects and our ability to deliver enhanced value to shareholders, as Seanergy is well-placed to benefit from the rising trend in the Capesize market through our high-quality fleet, index-linked market exposure and strong financial position."

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⁴ Based on the closing share price on March 13, 2024.

Company Fleet:

(1)  The Company has the option to convert the index-linked rate to fixed for periods ranging between 1 and 12 months, based on the prevailing Capesize FFA Rate for the selected period.

(2)  The latest redelivery date does not include any additional optional periods.

(3)  The vessel is operated by the Company on the basis of a 12-month bareboat charter-in contract with the owners of the vessel, including a purchase option at the end of the bareboat charter.

Vessel to be delivered:

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