Friday, November 29, 2024
Dear Shareholders and Investors,
Highlights:
The international profile of NAT is reflected in the fact that during the last five years our ships have loaded & discharged in 68 countries. Ninety day periods offer a short-term snapshot of a company. However, it is more constructive to view the longer-term picture. The direction of NAT is unquestionably upwards, and there is room for profitable growth.
1. During the third quarter 2024, we concluded time-charter (T/C) contracts with international and national oil companies. These contracts represent an aggregate net revenue of about $125 million. Our customers see that there is a scarcity of suezmax ships, which is one reason why they enter into long-term contracts with us.
2. During the last few years, the amount of sanctioned oil transported by the low quality “dark fleet” has grown. NAT does not participate in this trade. We do not transit the Suez canal or trade in the Red Sea. Measures that are expected to be implemented by the new US administration after January 20, 2025, could impact NAT positively, creating more transportation work.
3. For the ninety-two day period ending September 30, 2024, NAT produced a net profit of $8.7 million, which is an earnings per share of $0.04. This compares with a net profit of $7.5 million for the same quarter last year.
4. During the third quarter of 2024 the average NAT time charter equivalent for all our ships, in spot and on time charter, was $30,656 per day per ship. The daily operating costs per ship are about $9,000, leaving NAT with a solid margin.
5. Since its inception in 1995, NAT has been a dividend company, a path we shall continue to follow. We plan to increase our fleet with a couple of ships, which should positively impact dividend payments. The dividend for the third quarter is 4 cents ($0.04) per share. This is our 109th consecutive quarterly cash dividend declaration. The dividend is payable January 16, 2025, to shareholders on record as of December 17, 2024.
6. Through careful voyage planning and adjustment of speed of our vessels, we reduce emissions. It is a fact that each individual ship in the NAT fleet is of excellent technical condition, as demonstrated in the vetting performance, the score card undertaken by our customers.
Most of our business is with major oil and energy companies.
Sincerely,
Herbjorn Hansson
Founder, Chairman & CEO
Nordic American Tankers Ltd. www.nat.bm
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,” “intend,” “estimate,” “forecast,” “project,” “plan,” “potential,” “will,” “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, our management’s examination of historical operating trends, data contained in our records and other data available from third parties. Although we believe that these assumptions were reasonable when made, because these assumptions are inherently subject to significant uncertainties and contingencies which are difficult or impossible to predict and are beyond our control, we cannot assure you that we will achieve or accomplish these expectations, beliefs or projections. We undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
Important factors that, in our view, could cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements include the strength of world economies and currencies, general market conditions, including fluctuations in charter rates and vessel values, changes in demand in the tanker market, as a result of changes in OPEC’s petroleum production levels and worldwide oil consumption and storage, changes in our operating expenses, including bunker prices, drydocking and insurance costs, the market for our 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, potential disruption of shipping routes due to accidents or political events, vessels breakdowns and instances of off-hires and other important factors described from time to time in the reports filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the prospectus and related prospectus supplement, our Annual Report on Form 20-F, and our reports on Form 6-K.
Contacts:
Bjørn Giæver, CFO
Nordic American Tankers Ltd
Tel: +1 888 755 8391
Alexander Kihle, Finance Manager
Nordic American Tankers Ltd
Tel: +47 91 724 171
