Diana Shipping Inc. Reports Financial Results for the First Quarter Ended March 31, 2023 and Declares Dividend of $0.15 Per Share for the First Quarter of 2023

ATHENS, Greece, May 26, 2023 (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 $22.7 million and net income attributed to common stockholders of $21.3 million for the first quarter of 2023. This compares to a net income of $26.0 million and net income attributed to common stockholders of $24.6 million reported in the first quarter of 2022. Earnings per share for the first quarter of 2023 was $0.22 basic and diluted, compared to earnings per share of $0.32 basic and $0.31 diluted in the same quarter in 2022.

Time charter revenues were $72.6 million for the first quarter of 2023, compared to $65.9 million for the same quarter of 2022. The increase in time charter revenues, compared to the same quarter of last year, was due to increased ownership days resulted from vessel acquisitions. This increase was partly offset by decreased average charter rates compared to the same quarter of last year.

Dividend Declaration

The Company has declared a dividend on its common stock based on the Company’s results of operations during the quarter ended March 31, 2023, in the amount of $0.15 per share, which will be paid in shares of the Company’s common stock or, upon the election of common shareholders, in cash. The dividend will be payable on or about July 10, 2023, to all shareholders of record as of June 12, 2023. The Company has 106,437,232 common shares issued and outstanding.

The Company is also re-affirming its previously announced dividend guidance that it intends to declare and pay quarterly dividends with respect to the next two quarters of 2023 in an amount of not less than $0.15 per share. The actual declaration of future dividends, the establishment of record and payment dates and the determination to pay future dividends in cash, in stock, or in a combination of cash and shares of common stock is subject to final determination by the Company’s board of directors each quarter after its review of the Company’s financial performance.

Other Matters

The Company is also announcing that it has signed a non-binding term sheet with a major European bank for a new sustainability linked loan facility in an amount of up to $100 million. If completed, the proceeds of the new facility will be used to refinance existing credit facilities secured by the ten vessels in the Company’s current fleet securing the facility. The facility is expected to have a term of six and a half years. The Company has also signed a non-binding term sheet with a separate major European bank for an additional credit facility in the amount of up to $22.5 million. If completed, the proceeds of the $22.5 million facility will be used to refinance an existing credit facility secured by four of the Company’s dry bulk vessels. The facility is expected to have a term of five years. Both facilities remain subject to successful negotiation of definitive documentation and satisfaction of other customary closing conditions and are expected to include customary financial and other covenants and conditions.

Non-GAAP Measures

(1) Time charter equivalent rates, or TCE rates, are defined as our time charter revenues less voyage expenses during a period divided by the number of available days during the period, which is consistent with industry standards. Voyage expenses include port charges, bunker (fuel) expenses or gain, 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 on time charters with daily earnings generated by vessels on voyage charters, because charter hire rates for vessels on voyage charters are generally not expressed in per day amounts while charter hire rates for vessels on time charters are generally expressed in such amounts.

(2) Daily vessel operating expenses, which include crew wages and related costs, the cost of insurance, expenses relating to repairs and maintenance, the costs of spares and consumable stores, tonnage taxes and other miscellaneous expenses, are calculated by dividing vessel operating expenses by ownership days for the relevant period.

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, May 26, 2023.

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 13738993.

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 medium to long-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, 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)