Diana Shipping Inc. Reports Financial Results for the Fourth Quarter and Year Ended December 31, 2023; Declares Cash Dividend of $0.075 Per Share for the Fourth Quarter 2023; Announces the Sale of a Capesize Dry Bulk Vessel, the m/v Houston

ATHENS, Greece, Feb. 23, 2024 (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 reported net income of $9.4 million and net income attributed to common stockholders of $7.9 million for the fourth quarter of 2023. This compares to net income of $25.7 million and net income attributed to common stockholders of $24.2 million for the fourth quarter of 2022. Earnings per share for the fourth quarter of 2023 was $0.08 basic and $0.06 diluted, compared to earnings per share of $0.28 basic and $0.27 diluted in the same quarter of 2022.

Time charter revenues were $60.0 million for the fourth quarter of 2023, compared to $75.7 million for the same quarter of 2022. The decrease in time charter revenues, compared to the same quarter of last year, was due to decreased average charter rates. This decrease was partly offset by increased ownership days that resulted from vessel acquisitions.

Net income for 2023, amounted to $49.8 million and net income attributed to common stockholders amounted to $44.1 million. This compares to net income of $119.1 million and net income attributed to common stockholders of $113.3 million, for 2022. Time charter revenues for 2023 were $262.1 million, compared to $290.0 million for 2022. Earnings per share was $0.44 basic and $0.42 diluted, compared to earnings per share of $1.42 basic and $1.36 diluted in 2022.

Dividend Declaration

The Company has declared a cash dividend on its common stock of $0.075 per share, based on the Company’s results of operations during the fourth quarter ended December 31, 2023. The cash dividend will be payable on or about March 12, 2024 to all shareholders of record as of March 5, 2024. The Company currently has 115,996,291 common shares issued and outstanding. As of February 16, 2024, there were 1,940,736 warrants exercised.

Sale of Capesize Dry Bulk Vessel, m/v Houston

The Company also announced that it has signed, through a separate wholly-owned subsidiary, a Memorandum of Agreement to sell to an unaffiliated third party, the 2009-built vessel “Houston”, with delivery to the buyer latest by September 16, 2024, for a sale price of $23.3 million before commissions.

Non-GAAP Measures

Conference Call and Webcast Information

The Company’s management will conduct a conference call and simultaneous Internet webcast to review these results at 9:00 A.M. (Eastern Time) on Friday, February 23, 2024.

Investors may access the webcast by visiting the Company’s website at www.dianashippinginc.com, and clicking on the webcast link. An accompanying investor presentation also will be available via the webcast link and on the Company’s website. The conference call also may be accessed by telephone by dialing 1-877-407-8291 (for U.S.-based callers) or 1-201-689-8345 (for international callers) and asking the operator for the Diana Shipping Inc. conference call.

A replay of the webcast will be available soon after the completion of the call and will be accessible for 30 days on www.dianashippinginc.com. A telephone replay also will be available for 30 days by dialing 1-877-660-6853 (for U.S.-based callers) or 1-201-612-7415 (for international callers) and providing the Replay ID number 13744214.

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 continuing impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic; 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, including the escalation of the conflict in the Middle East, 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.

(See financial tables attached)