TEN Positive About Tanker Market Conditions

Tsakos Energy Navigation (TEN), an Athens-based crude, product and LNG tanker operator believes that the recent decline in TEN’s stock is in direct contrast to the state of the physical tanker market, the future prospects and the financial strength of the company.

Management believes that the supply and demand balance, particularly for crude tankers, is in equilibrium and should provide a solid platform for continuing the healthy rates and asset prices currently in evidence.

Additionally, the recent decrease in the price of oil can be viewed as a “double blessing” for TEN. On the one hand, it creates a tailwind for maritime transportation as the soft price of the commodity leads to increased global imports in time for the approaching winter.As a result, spot rates have doubled compared to rates this time last year for most of the vessel types TEN operates, the company reports.

On the other hand, given that the largest expense item of the company’s operations relates to vessel fuelling, the lower price of oil translates into material cost savings. Such savings are estimated to be approximately USD 10 million on an annualised basis to TEN’s bottom line.

Furthermore, the strengthening of the US dollar provides an additional layer of support as it reduces TEN’s Euro expenditure by an estimated USD 12 million dollars annualized at current exchange rate levels.

In light of the above, TEN’s management has decided to recommend to the Board of Directors an increase in common stock dividends for 2015. Should the Board accept such recommendation, the company expects the increase to be announced in the forthcoming third quarter earnings results on November 21, 2014.