PANL - Pangaea Logistics (PANL) - Ship Acquisition Follows Balanced Strategy of Growth and Rewarding Stakeholders

Ship acquisition announced. Pangaea announced the acquisition of a 2010-built vessel for US$17.1 million. Management had indicated it was in final negotiations for a ship purchase during its August 18th call to discuss second quarter financial results so the announcement was not a surprise. Pangaea has operated the ship for over a year on a chartered-in basis and had been approached by the owner. The ship will be delivered in September or October. Owned ships typically command higher margin contracts than chartered-in ships so the acquisition should have a positive impact on financial results going forward.Acquisition follows management's balanced strategy of growth and rewarding stakeholders. The Board of Directors has raised the dividend twice in the last twelve months although it opted to hold dividends constant in the most recent quarter. It has also paid down debt and capital leases in recent quarters. The ship acquisition will help grow Pangaea's asset base. Pangaea's cash position was $102.2 million (up from $40.6 million at this time last year). We believe the company will pay for the ship, which will be renamed Bulk Sachuest, with cash on hand. Read More >>