Wednesday, 13 December 2023
by Earn Media
Shares of dry bulk shipper Eagle Bulk Shipping (NYSE: EGLE) are soaring this morning, up 11.6% through 11 a.m. ET, on news of a big merger. Last night, after close of trading on the NYSE, Eagle announced that it will merge its business with rival shipper Star Bulk Carriers (NASDAQ: SBLK).
Star Bulk stock, by the way, is up only 2.2%.
The Baltic Dry Index (which tracks dry bulk shipping rates) hit a recent 18-month high of 3,192 earlier this month before retreating pell-mell to just 2,509 this morning — a 22% drop over barely one week. This suggests the rally in dry bulk shipping rates could be nearing its end.
You might think this would make shippers nervous about making any big moves. But with fears of rough sailing in the offing, it appears these two shippers have decided, instead, that it’s a good idea to get bigger more quickly to better weather the storm. The result will be a “global leader in dry bulk shipping” boasting a fleet of 169 ships, more than $1.4 billion in annual revenue, and a market capitalization of $2.1 billion.
The companies plan to effect this result through a “merger” that looks more like an acquisition of Eagle Bulk by Star Bulk. The latter will trade 2.6211 of its shares for each Eagle Bulk share currently outstanding (for a purchase price of roughly $52.60, paid in stock). The companies hope to close the merger before the end of H1 2024.
Eighteen months post-acquisition, the companies hope to squeeze $50 million in annual costs out of their operations through “synergies.” If they succeed in this — and if prices for dry bulk shipping hold steady (which, admittedly, they never do) — the net result of this could be to roughly double Eagle’s current annual profit. This would generate a total net profit for the two combined companies of more than $300 million — giving the combined company a price-to-earnings ratio (P/E) of about 7.
I have to admit — that sounds pretty cheap. Still, the bigger question on most investors’ minds is, what will happen to the companies’ dividend payouts post-merger?
Currently, Eagle Bulk pays a healthy 3% dividend yield, while Star Bulk’s dividend yield is downright generous at 7.9%. On that score, I have great news: Star Bulk notes that “following close, the combined company expects to maintain Star Bulk’s current dividend policy.”
No wonder Eagle Bulk investors are happy today!
Should you invest $1,000 in Eagle Bulk Shipping right now?
Before you buy stock in Eagle Bulk Shipping, consider this:
The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Eagle Bulk Shipping wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years.
Stock Advisor provides investors with an easy-to-follow blueprint for success, including guidance on building a portfolio, regular updates from analysts, and two new stock picks each month. The Stock Advisor service has more than tripled the return of S&P 500 since 2002*.
*Stock Advisor returns as of December 11, 2023
Rich Smith has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.