TOPS AH NEWS late yesterday should run today
TOP Ships Inc. (Nasdaq:TOPS), an international ship-owning company (the “Company”), announced today that it has extended the time charter agreements with Stena Bulk AB (ex Stena Weco AS) by 12 months for M/T Stenaweco Energy and M/T Stenaweco Elegance and by 18 months for M/T Stenaweco Evolution and M/T Stenaweco Excellence.
The Company expects a total gross revenue backlog associated with these time charter extensions of $27.4 million. Following the signing of the abovementioned time charter party extensions, the Company’s charter coverage is as follows:
Year Operating
fleet Operating fleet including
vessels partly owned
through joint ventures
2018 94 % 95 %
2019 78 % 82 %
2020 77 % 81 %
2021 26 % 28 %
The above charter coverage percentages are calculated as the ratio of number of days vessels are expected to be hired pursuant to the fixed period of existing time charters divided by number of days vessels are available for chartering during the respective calendar years assuming no off-hire days.
Evangelos Pistiolis, President and CEO of the Company, stated: “The total gross revenue backlog for the fixed charter period of all of the Company’s operating fleet stands at about $131 million and when adding the 50% of our joint venture vessels it increases to about $147 million, with cashflow visibility reaching into 2021. Our business strategy continues to be focused on further expanding our fleet as it is important that we achieve a certain critical mass in terms of fleet size with an aim to maximize our operational efficiencies and synergies.
