In September this year, Ship Finance International Limited decided to change the name of the company to SFL Corporation Ltd. (SFL).
Maybe they are hoping investors would take more interest since the word "ship" is no longer there. The maritime shipping industry has not been particularly popular amongst the majority of investors.
Source: SFL Corp. IR page
Investment thesis
Other than a new name, the story of SFL is still a story of success. They have navigated turbulent market conditions in the tanker market, the offshore market, where they are not quite out