Euroseas Ltd. (NASDAQ: ESEA), an owner and operator of drybulk and container carrier vessels and provider of seaborne transportation for drybulk and containerized cargoes, announced today its results for the three month period ended March 31, 2017.
First Quarter 2017 Highlights:
• Total net revenues of $8.3 million. Net loss of $2.2 million; net loss attributable to common shareholders (after a $0.4 million of dividend on Series B Preferred Shares) of $2.6 million or $0.24 loss per share basic and diluted. Adjusted net loss attributable to common shareholders1 for the period was $3.1 million or $0.29 loss per share basic and diluted.
• Adjusted EBITDA1 was $0.2 million.
• An average of 13.38 vessels were owned and operated during the first quarter of 2017 earning an average time charter equivalent rate of $7,313 per day.
• The Company declared its thirteenth dividend of $0.4 million on its Series B Preferred shares; the dividend was paid in-kind by issuing additional Series B Preferred Shares.
The Company also announced yesterday the resignation of Mr. George Skarvelis as director of the Company for personal reasons. Mr. Skarvelis served as a director since 2005 and the Company would like to thank him for his contributions during his tenure.
1Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted net loss and Adjusted loss per share are not recognized measurements under GAAP. Refer to a subsequent section of the Press Release for the definitions and reconciliation of these measurements to the most directly comparable financial measures calculated and presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP.
Aristides Pittas, Chairman and CEO of Euroseas commented: «The beginning of 2017 found both the drybulk and containership markets recovering from the historical low levels observed during 2016. The drybulk market improved rapidly during the last two months of 2016 and throughout the first quarter, although it has recently lost some of the gains achieved. The containership market improved more gradually starting in February 2017, and has maintained its level, still low compared to historical standards, despite a slowdown in chartering activity lately. The reduced levels of orderbook for both sectors as compared to the recent past as well as the strengthening of world economic growth are giving us hope that the rebound will continue even at a modest pace.
«Our fleet should be able to take full advantage of such a rebound as during the last quarter of 2016 and the first quarter of 2017 we have generally been employing our vessels in short term charters and have further renewed our drybulk fleet, which now includes two newbuild vessels and four well-maintained Japanese built secondhand ones. In addition to the improving market prospects, our strengthened balance sheet, as a result of raising funds via both private placements and our at-the-market offering, has given us the confidence to continue the construction of our second Kamsarmax vessel due to be delivered by June 2018 as we announced last month.
«We continue looking for opportunities to expand our fleet with well-priced well-maintained vessels. We believe that a company like Euroseas with access to the public markets and a cost-effective operating platform provides an ideal «home» for other small or large private fleets to pursue capital raising options and offer their shareholders additional exit options. We completed such a transaction in which we acquired a vessel for shares at the end of 2016 and we continue exploring similar opportunities as we believe our shareholders will be able to achieve significant value gains.»
Tasos Aslidis, Chief Financial Officer of Euroseas commented: «The results of the first quarter of 2017 reflect the improved rates most of our vessels earned as a result of the recovering state of the drybulk and container markets. Comparing our results for the first quarter of 2017 with the same period of 2016, our net revenues increased by about $1.7 million but we incurred $0.8 million higher voyage expenses. Operating expenses, including management fees and general and administrative expenses increased by approximately $0.5 million as compared to the first quarter of 2016. This was mainly due to the operation of 13.38 vessels during the first quarter of 2017 versus 11.54 vessels during the same period of last year; on a per-vessel-per-day basis, operating expenses, including management fees and general and administrative expenses declined by 7.4% during the first quarter of 2017 as compared to the same period in 2016. We believe that we continue to maintain one of the lowest operating cost structures amongst the public shipping companies which is one of our competitive advantages.