EuroDry: Low market in Q4 reflected in financial results

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EuroDry, an owner and operator of drybulk vessels and provider of seaborne transportation for drybulk cargoes, announced its results for the three and twelve-month periods ended December 31, 2024.

Fourth Quarter 2024 Highlights:

  • Total net revenues of $14.5 million.
  • Net loss attributable to controlling shareholders, of $3.3 million or $1.20 loss per share basic and diluted.
  • Adjusted net loss1 attributable to controlling shareholders, for the quarter of $0.7 million, or, $0.25 per share basic and diluted which excludes among other items an impairment charge of $2.8 million on one of our vessels.
  • Adjusted EBITDA1 was $4.8 million.
  • An average of 13.0 vessels were owned and operated during the fourth quarter of 2024 earning an average time charter equivalent rate of $12,201 per day.
  • To date, about $5.3 million has been used to repurchase 334,674 shares of the Company, under our share repurchase plan of up to $10 million, announced in August 2022.

Recent developments:

  • In November 2024, the Company signed two contracts with Nantong Xiangyu Shipbuilding for the construction of two 63,500 DWT ultramax bulk carriers. Both vessels are geared, eco, and are built to EEDI phase 3 design standard. The two newbuildings are scheduled to be delivered during the second and third quarters of 2027. The total consideration for the two newbuilding contracts is approximately $71.8 million and will be financed with a combination of debt and equity.
  • The Company on January 29, 2025, signed an agreement to sell M/V Tasos, a 75,100 dwt drybulk vessel, built in 2000, for demolition, for approximately $5 million. The vessel is expected to be delivered to its buyers, an unaffiliated third party, until early-March 2025, upon completion of her present charter. As a result of the vessel sale, we expect to record a gain of approximately $2.1million.

Full Year 2024 Highlights:

  • Total net revenues of $61.1 million.
  • Net loss attributable to controlling shareholders, of $9.7 million, or $3.54 loss per share basic and diluted.
  • Adjusted net loss1 attributable to controlling shareholders, for the period was $8.2 million or $3.02 adjusted loss per share basic and diluted.
  • Adjusted EBITDA1 was $12.4 million.
  • An average of 13.0 vessels were owned and operated during the twelve months of 2024 earning an average time charter equivalent rate of $13,039 per day.

Aristides Pittas, Chairman and CEO of EuroDry commented: During the last couple of months of 2024 and during January and February of 2025, the drybulk market dropped to rates not seen since the early days of the COVID pandemic and touched decade-long lows last seen in 2016. It appears that a combination of low trade volumes due to low demand from China combined with a record low percentage of the fleet tied up in ports more than counterbalanced the low fleet growth during the period. There is some expectation, though, that the various stimuli packages released by the Chinese government during the fourth quarter of 2024 would start showing results in the near future; such stimuli combined with the typical seasonal recovery of the drybulk markets during the second quarter could lead to a noticeable recovery of the charter rates as already indicated by the forward (“FFA”) market.

“The low market of the fourth quarter was reflected in our results for the period although our vessels achieved better charters than market averages indicate. And while the low market of January and February 2025 will affect our first quarter results, we expect a recovery of the market in March and during the second quarter of 2025 to return us to profitability as our fleet is positioned to take full advantage of it having passed most drydockings in 2024. At the same time, as prices for vessels have also weakened, we are diligent in searching for potential investment opportunities; and to help finance such opportunities should they arise, we have committed to sell our eldest vessel M/V Tasos, as we recently announced.”

Tasos Aslidis, Chief Financial Officer of EuroDry commented: In the fourth quarter of 2024 the Company operated an average of 13.0 vessels, versus 12.2 vessels during the same period last year. Our net revenues decreased to $14.5 million in the fourth quarter of 2024 compared to $15.9 million during the same period of last year. Our vessels earned in the fourth quarter of 2024 approximately 16.3% lower time charter equivalent rates compared to the corresponding period of 2023. At the same time, total daily vessel operating expenses, including management fees, general and administrative expenses but excluding drydocking costs, during the fourth quarter of 2024, averaged $7,087 per vessel per day, as compared to $7,340 for the same period of last year and $6,967 per vessel per day for the year 2024 as compared to $7,131 per vessel per day for the same period of 2023. The decreased total vessel operating expenses in the recent periods are attributable to the significantly lower daily general and administrative expenses. General and administrative expenses for the same period of 2023 included additional costs incurred in relation to the formation of a partnership with a number of investors represented by NRP Project Finance AS (“NRP Investors”) regarding the ownership of the entities owning M/V Christos K and M/V Maria (the “Partnership”).

“Adjusted EBITDA during the fourth quarter of 2024 was $4.8 million versus $6.6 million in the fourth quarter of last year, and $12.4 million versus $14.6 million for the respective twelve-month periods of 2024 and 2023, respectively. As of December 31, 2024, our outstanding debt (excluding the unamortized loan fees) was $108.2 million versus unrestricted and restricted cash of $11.9 million. As of the same date, our scheduled debt repayments over the next 12 months amounted to about $12.1 million (excluding the unamortized loan fees).”