Performance Shipping Inc. Reports Financial Results for the Third Quarter and Nine Months Ended September 30, 2021

ATHENS, Greece, Nov. 09, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Performance Shipping Inc. (NASDAQ: PSHG) (the “Company”), a global shipping company specializing in the ownership of tanker vessels, today reported a net loss from continuing and discontinued operations attributable to common stockholders of $2.2 million for the third quarter of 2021, compared to net income from continuing and discontinued operations attributable to common stockholders of $0.4 million for the same period in 2020. Loss per share, basic and diluted, for the third quarter of 2021 was $0.43, while earnings per share, basic and diluted, for the third quarter of 2020 was $0.08.

Revenue from continuing and discontinued operations was $9.3 million ($4.3 million net of voyage expenses) for the third quarter of 2021, compared to $9.5 million ($6.7 million net of voyage expenses) for the same period in 2020. This decrease was mainly attributable to the decreased time-charter equivalent rates (TCE rates) achieved during the quarter as a result of depressed market conditions, and was partially counterbalanced by the increase in ownership days, after the acquisition of the M/T P. Yanbu in December 2020. Fleetwide, the average time charter equivalent rate for the third quarter of 2021 was $9,335, compared with an average rate of $15,990 for the same period in 2020. During the third quarter of 2021, net cash provided by operating activities of continuing and discontinued operations was $0.2 million, compared with net cash provided by operating activities of continuing and discontinued operations of $2.3 million for the third quarter of 2020.

Net loss from continuing and discontinued operations for the nine months ended September 30, 2021, amounted to $7.7 million, compared to net income from continuing and discontinued operations of $6.3 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2020. Net loss from continuing and discontinued operations attributable to common stockholders for the nine months ended September 30, 2021, amounted to $7.7 million, and resulted in a loss per share, basic and diluted, of $1.52. Net income from continuing and discontinued operations attributable to common stockholders for the nine months ended September 30, 2020, amounted to $7.8 million, due to a one-time gain of $1.5 million derived from the repurchase of the Series C preferred shares, and resulted in earnings per common share, basic and diluted, of $1.62 and $1.59, respectively.

As of September 30, 2021, the Company’s number of shares issued and outstanding was 5,082,726.

Commenting on the results of the third quarter of 2021, Mr. Andreas Michalopoulos, the Company’s Chief Executive Officer, stated:

“Spot charter rates in the third quarter of 2021 remain depressed as a result of oil-producing countries maintaining their marginal increases in crude oil and refined petroleum products production, despite the increased level of oil consumption and oil prices and the depletion of global inventories. So far, in the current quarter, we have seen an improvement in charter rates and demand for seaborne oil transportation, and we believe that the tanker charter rate environment will continue to recover in the medium term. During the second quarter of 2021, we completed the special survey and installation of a ballast water treatment system on our M/T Briolette. We will take advantage of the weak market to commence and complete similar work on our M/T P. Fos and our M/T Blue Moon during the fourth quarter. As a result of our financial results, and in accordance with our dividend policy, we will not declare a dividend for our Q3 2021 results from operations.”

Tanker Market Update for the third quarter of 2021:

• Tanker fleet supply was 652.6 million dwt, up 0.1% from 652.1 million dwt from the previous quarter, and up 2.0% from Q3 2020 levels of 639.5 million dwt.
  
  
• Tanker demand in billion tonne-miles is projected to marginally increase by 1.2% in full year 2021, underpinned by seaborne oil trade volumes remaining well below pre-Covid levels.
  
  
• Tanker fleet supply in deadweight terms is estimated to grow by a moderate 1.7% in 2021.
  
  
• Crude tanker fleet utilization was estimated at 80.0%, slightly up from 77.1% from the previous quarter and down from Q3 2020 levels of 83.0%.
  
  
• Newbuilding tanker contracting stood at 1.4 million dwt in the third quarter, the lowest quarterly total since the second quarter of 2009. This resulted in the tanker orderbook remaining close to record low levels, representing 7.7% of the tanker fleet.
  
  
• Daily spot charter rates for Aframax tankers averaged $3,277, down 57.1% from the previous quarter average of $7,648 and down 62.3% from the Q3 2020 average of $8,698.
  
  
• The value of a 10-year-old Aframax tanker ended the third quarter at $26.0 million, at the same levels seen in the previous quarter, and it was up 13.0% from the assessed value of $23.0 million seen in Q3 2020.
  
  
• The number of tankers occupied with floating storage (excluding dedicated storage) was 159 (24.6 million dwt), up 8.9% from 146 (22.3 million dwt) from the previous quarter and down 50.6% from Q3 2020 levels of 322 (46.3 million dwt).
  
  
• Global oil consumption was 98.5 million bpd, up 1.9% from the previous quarter level of 96.7 million bpd, and up 5.4% from Q3 2020 levels of 93.5 million bpd.
  
  
• Global oil production was 96.7 million bpd, up 2.0% from the previous quarter level of 94.8 million bpd and up 6.2% from Q3 2020 levels of 91.0 million bpd.
  
  
• OECD commercial inventories were 2,786.0 million barrels, down 3.0% from the previous quarter level of 2,871.0 million barrels, and down 12.1% from Q3 2020 levels of 3,168.1 million barrels.

Novel Coronavirus Risks:

On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared the novel coronavirus (“COVID-19”) outbreak a pandemic. In response to the outbreak, many countries, ports and organizations, including those where the Company conducts a large part of its operations, have implemented measures to combat the outbreak, such as quarantines, travel restrictions, and other emergency public health measures in an effort to contain the outbreak. Such measures have resulted in a significant reduction in global economic activity and extreme volatility in the global financial markets, which has reduced the global demand for oil and oil products, which the Company’s vessels transport. Despite the global gradual recovery from COVID-19, the Company continues to take proactive measures to ensure the health and wellness of its crew and onshore employees while maintaining effective business continuity and uninterrupted service to its customers. The overall impact of COVID-19 on the Company’s business, and the efficacy of any measures the Company takes in response to the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, will depend on how the outbreak further develops, the duration and extent of the restrictive measures that are associated with the pandemic and their impact on global economy and trade, which is still uncertain.

(1)      Discontinued Operations refer to our container vessels segment that we disposed of in 2020.

(2)      Operating days are the number of available days in a period less the aggregate number of days that our vessels are off-hire. The specific calculation counts as on-hire the days of the ballast leg of the spot voyages, as long as a charter party is in place. The shipping industry uses operating days to measure the aggregate number of days in a period during which vessels actually generate revenues.

(3)      Time charter equivalent rates, or TCE rates, are defined as revenue (voyage, time charter and pool revenue), less voyage expenses during a period divided by the number of our available days during the period, which is consistent with industry standards. Voyage expenses include port charges, bunker (fuel) expenses, canal charges and commissions. TCE is a non-GAAP measure. TCE rate is a standard shipping industry performance measure used primarily to compare daily earnings generated by vessels despite changes in the mix of charter types (i.e., voyage (spot) charters, time charters and bareboat charters).

(4)      Daily vessel operating expenses, which include crew wages and related costs, the cost of insurance and vessel registry, expenses relating to repairs and maintenance, the costs of spares and consumable stores, lubricant costs, tonnage taxes, regulatory fees, environmental costs, lay-up expenses and other miscellaneous expenses, are calculated by dividing vessel operating expenses by ownership days for the relevant period.

About the Company

Performance Shipping Inc. is a global provider of shipping transportation services through its ownership of Aframax tankers. The Company's current fleet is employed on spot voyages, time charters, and through pool arrangements.

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, but are not limited to, 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, terms or phrases may 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 expectations, beliefs or projections.

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 strength of world economies, fluctuations in currencies and interest rates, general market conditions, including fluctuations in charter hire rates and vessel values, changes in demand for our vessels, changes in the supply of vessels, changes in worldwide oil production and consumption and storage, changes in our operating expenses, including bunker prices, crew costs, dry-docking and insurance costs, our future operating or financial results, 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, the length and severity of epidemics and pandemics, including the ongoing outbreak of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) and its impact on the demand for seaborne transportation of petroleum and other types of products, 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 or events, including “trade wars”, acts by terrorists or acts of piracy on ocean-going vessels, potential disruption of shipping routes due to accidents, labor disputes or political events, vessel breakdowns and instances of off-hires and other important factors. Please see our filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for a more complete discussion of these and other risks and uncertainties.

(See financial tables attached)

Dividend Policy – Quarterly Calculations

Our Board of Directors has adopted a variable quarterly dividend policy, pursuant to which we may declare and pay a variable quarterly cash dividend. If declared, the quarterly dividend is expected to be paid each February, May, August and November and will be equal to available cash from operations during the previous quarter after cash payments for debt repayment and interest expense and reserves for the replacement of our vessels, scheduled drydockings, intermediate and special surveys and other purposes as our Board of Directors may from time to time determine are required, after taking into account contingent liabilities, the terms of any credit facility, our growth strategy and other cash needs as well as the requirements of Marshall Islands law. The declaration and payment of dividends is, at all times, subject to the discretion of our Board of Directors. Our Board of Directors may review and amend our dividend policy from time to time, in light of our plans for future growth and other factors.

In accordance with our dividend policy, and taking into account the above-listed factors, we expect to pay dividends only if during the preceding quarter Quarterly Cash Flow is positive and Quarter-End Excess Cash is also positive. As a general guideline, the amount of any such dividends is expected to be based on a pay-out ratio of the lower of i) Quarterly Cash Flow; and ii) Quarter-End Excess Cash. So long as our end of quarter outstanding debt exceeds our equity market capitalization our pay-out ratio is expected to be 50%. We will consider increasing the pay-out ratio gradually up to a maximum level of 90% that we may achieve when our end of quarter outstanding debt is less than 10% of our equity market capitalization. Quarter-End Excess Cash is defined as actual end of quarter Cash and Cash Equivalents over our Minimum Cash Threshold. Minimum Cash Threshold is defined as the sum of minimum liquidity pursuant to our loan agreements and $1.5 million per vessel. Our bank facilities currently require us to maintain minimum liquidity of $9.0 million.  

Quarterly Cash Flow is equal to voyage and time charter revenues less voyage expenses, less vessel operating expenses, less general and administrative expenses, less - the greater of i) net interest expense and repayment of long-term bank debt or ii) fleet replacement reserves - and less maintenance reserves for our fleet.

We believe the above approach will ensure the sustainability of our Company and replacement of our fleet as during quarters where either Excess Cash is negative or Quarterly Cash Flow is negative, we will not pay dividends until Quarterly Cash Flow is positive and Excess Cash is also positive. Below are our calculations of Quarter-End Excess Cash and Quarterly Cash Flow for the third quarter of 2021.

(1)      General and administrative expenses, for the purpose of calculating dividends, exclude non-cash items.

(2)      Replacement reserves reflect the aggregate annual amount of cash that the Company retains to fund the replacement of each of its vessels. In addition to the replacement reserve retained and reinvested at a certain annual rate or equivalent debt repayment, the Company estimates at the specific expected replacement date to utilize funds from the proceeds of the scrap value of the vessels and the assumption of a modest level of debt to purchase the replacement vessel assuming such replacement is for a ten-year-old vessel at the ten-year historical mid-cycle value.

(3)      Maintenance reserves are based on an estimated cost for the drydock, intermediate and special surveys of the vessels in our fleet over the recurring statutory five-year survey period. They are used, instead of actual maintenance costs when incurred, for purposes of calculating the quarterly dividend to remove the additional cash flow variability during quarters that drydocks occur.