Seanergy Maritime Holdings Corp. (SHIP) Q4 FY2025 Earnings Call Transcript & Summary

Thank you for standing by, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to the Seanergy Maritime Holdings Conference Call on the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2025 financial results. We have with us Mr. Stamatios Tsantanis, Chairman and CEO; and Mr. Stavros Gyftakis, Chief Financial Officer of Seanergy Maritime Holdings Corp. [Operator Instructions]. Please be advised that this conference call is being recorded today, Tuesday, February 17, 2026. The archived webcast of the conference call will soon be made available on the Seanergy website www.seanergymaritime.com. To access today's presentation and listen to the archived audio file visit the Seanergy Maritime website following the Webcast and Presentations section under the Investor Relations page. Please now turn to Slide 2 of the presentation. Many of the remarks today contain forward-looking statements based on current expectations. Actual results may differ materially from the results projected from those forward-looking statements. Additional information concerning factors that can cause the actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements is contained in the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2025 earnings release. which is available on the Seanergy website again, www.seanergymaritime.com. I would now like to turn the conference over to one of your speakers today is the Chairman and CEO of the company; Mr. Stamatios Tsantanis. Please go ahead, sir.

Thank you, operator, and welcome, everyone. Today, we are pleased to present our financial results and company updates for the fourth quarter and full year of 2025. 2025 marked our fifth consecutive year of profitability and another important milestone for Seanergy. We delivered strong earnings generated meaningful cash flow advanced our fleet renewal strategy and continue the returning capital to our shareholders, significant capital to our shareholders, all while further strengthening our balance sheet. For the fourth quarter of 2025, we reported earnings per share of $0.68 and for the full year period of 2025, we reported earnings per share of $1.28. Both our net income as well as the appreciation in value of vessels acquired since 2021 underscore the operating leverage embedded in our platform. Our profitable track record validates our long-term consistent strategy of focusing exclusively on larger bulkers, Capesizes and Newcastlemax. Seanergy is optimally positioned in what we believe is a favorable Capesize environment supported by expanding long haul demand while fleet supply growth remains constrained. Aging tonnage, limited new ordering and environmental regulations are creating a structured tighter supply environment. With respect to fleet renewal and optimization, we have made significant progress. To date, we have secured three high-specification eco newbuildings, two Capesizes and one Newcastlemax at leading Chinese shipyards with deliveries between Q2 '27 and Q2 '28, totaling approximately $226 million. At the same time, we recently concluded the sale of the 2010 built Dukeship at a firm price. In addition to the sale of the 2010 built Guinea Ship earlier in 2025. Both transactions released significant capital for the company. The current strength in secondhand values allows us to execute our fleet transition in a disciplined and measured manner while maintaining a strong balance sheet. At the year-end, our fleet loan value stood at 43%, reflecting a conservative leverage profile by disciplined balance sheet management. As a pure-play Capesize operator, we maintained balanced leverage that preserves financial resilience while retaining meaningful exposure to market upside. Let us turn now to Slide 4 for an overview of our capital distributions. Slide 4. In this profitable market environment, our capital allocation priorities remain clear. return capital to our investors, modernize our fleet and preserve financial strength. In 2025, we declared total dividends of $0.43 per share, including $0.20 for the fourth quarter. Since Q4 2021, we have returned approximately $96 million to our shareholders through dividends, share buybacks and note repurchases. Based on our track record and current market strength, we remain constructive on future distributions subject to market conditions and capital commitments. Slide #5, commercial snapshot. Turning to Slide #5. 2025 demonstrated the strength of our chartering strategy. During the fourth quarter, Seanergy achieved a daily times charter equivalent of approximately $26,600 while our full year terms at equivalent was approximately $21,000 a day. Fleet utilization exceeded 96% despite the intense dry docking schedule, reflecting our strong operating efficiency. In what was an extremely volatile year for the Capesize market, we are very pleased with our balanced commercial strategy, combining index-linked exposure with selective forward features and that has allowed us to participate in market upside while securing cash flows visibility and reducing volatility. Looking forward for the first quarter of 2026, we expect our time charter equivalent to be about $25,300 per day based on the FFA curve for the remaining days of February and March. We're closely tracking Capesize index during the period of counter-seasonal strength. As the market remains on a clear positive trend, we aim to selectively fix a percentage of all of our available days at attractive rates securing high cash flows and in terms of invested capital. For the period from Q2 until Q4 of 2026, we have fixed approximately 32 of our available fleet days at an average gross rate of $27,300, subject, of course, to further increase as a result of the profit savings scheme for two of our vessels. $27,300. Looking further ahead, the upcoming delivery of our new buildings will further improve the commercial profile of Seanergy, and we are currently considering our options with regards to their employment. Slide 6. Since our previous quarterly update, we have taken decisive steps towards fleet renewal and placed orders for two additional new buildings at first-class shipyards based in China. For now, we have two sister Capesize newbuildings for mid-2027 and one Newcastlemax for Q2 2028. The combined contract cost stands at approximately $226 million which we believe represents a very, very competitive value given the pronged deliveries and the quality of the yards. Our three newbuilding vessels have already attracted strong interest from both existing and prospective charters. However, given the continued strengthening of the market, we remain flexible and have not yet committed to any long-term employment agreements. The superior fuel and environmental performance, enhance their attractiveness to major dry bulk charterers and position them very well as regulatory requirements will come to tighten the market. On that note, I would like to turn the call over to Stavros for an overview of our financial performance as well as our financing developments with regards to our existing and new building vessels. Stavros, please go ahead.

Thank you, Stamatios, and good morning to everyone joining us. Let's begin with Slide 7, where we will review the key highlights of our financial performance. Before turning to the numbers, I would like to emphasize the continued strength and resilience of our platform as 2025 marks our fifth consecutive year of profitability. For the fourth quarter of 2025, the strong Capesize market supported robust financial results. Net revenue for the quarter totaled $49.4 million, while adjusted EBITDA and net income reached $28.9 million and $12.5 million, respectively, reflecting the strength of the second half of the year. For the full year, net revenue amounted to $158.1 million adjusted EBITDA reached $81.7 million and net income was $21.2 million, translating into earnings per share of $1.02. These results underscore the effectiveness of our chartering strategy and risk management framework. Turning to the balance sheet. We maintained a strong liquidity position with $62.7 million in cash and cash equivalents or approximately $3.1 million per vessel. This liquidity provides operational resilience and supports the execution of our fleet organization strategy. Now regarding our new building program, the investment plan has been carefully structured with a larger schedule to ensure alignment with our shareholder reward strategy and financial flexibility. Approximately $8 million is expected to be deployed this year, $100 million in 2027 and $50 million in 2028. Financing for two of these vessels has been secured on attractive terms while we are in active discussions for the third. Our debt capital ratio remained well below 50%. This conservative leverage profile, combined with strong cash generation provides flexibility as we enter 2026 and supports the funding of our newbuilding program. Overall, 2025 was characterized by consistent profitability, disciplined balance sheet management and solid castration positioning us well to continue delivering value to our shareholders moving forward. Moving on to Slide 8. For the full year, our TCE averaged 2,957 per day closely aligned with the annual BCI average. This reflects the effectiveness of our chartering strategy, which balances index exposure with selective forward pictures to manage volatility while preserving upside. Adjusted EBITDA reached $81.7 million for the year, significantly above our 5-year average. The strong performance in the second half demonstrates the operating leverage inherent in our fleet. Our EBITDA margin of approximately 5% operating cash flow margin of roughly 33% highlights the quality and resilience of our earnings, even amid a volatile freight market we generated meaningful and recurring cash flows supporting both shareholder returns and fleet modernization. Daily operating expenses per vessel averaged approximately $7,000 only modestly higher year-over-year despite the inflationary pressures in the aging profile of our fleet. Moving on to Slide 9. Let's look at our leverage profile and overall debt position. We closed the year with approximately $294 million of total debt to gross of deferred finance fees. Fleet loan-to-value declined to about 43% with net LTV supported by financing activity and resilient vessel valuations. This places us in a comfortable position relatively to both historical levels and industry benchmarks. Debt per vessel stands at about $14.7 million versus an average market value of $34.1 million, reflecting substantial embedded equity. Additionally, approximately 7% of our total debt is covered by scrap value offering meaningful downside protection, Daily cash interest expense per vessel decreased to approximately $2,570 per day, representing a 6% year-over-year improvement and enhancing our cash flow profile entering 2026. Before moving on, let me briefly touch on our recent refinancing activity. Over the past month, we executed several refinancings to strengthen liquidity, lowered margins and extended our maturity profile. At the same time, we secured competitive funding for two of our newbuilding vessels looking at attractive pricing well ahead of delivery. These facilities were structured with prudent amortization line covenant restrictions and enhanced flexibility, including purchase and repayment options. Overall, our actions reinforce balance resilience and provide the financial flexibility needed to support fleet renewal while maintaining disciplined leverage. Specific details of these financings are outlined in our earnings release. With a strengthened balance sheet and enhanced financial flexibility in place, let us now turn to Slide 10 to instate the operating leverage of editing our platform and the sensitivity of our earnings to movements in the cape sales market. At current FFA levels, we estimate full year EBITDA of approximately $122 million. Our 2025 average BI level, EBITDA would approximate $5 million providing a reference point based on current market assumptions. At rates above 30,000 EBITDA would increase materially, reflecting the operating leverage embedded in our platform. That concludes my review of our financial results and updates. I will now turn the call back to Stamatios, who will provide insights in the Capesize market and his concluding remarks March. Stamatios, please?

Thank you, Stavros. Slide 11. 2025 was another strong year for the CFS market despite the initial volatility. The Baltic Capesize Index averaged approximately $21,300 per day. The year began on a softer note during the first half before iron ore and coal restocking activity in China supported the strong recovery in the second half of the year. Record iron ore exports from Brazil and the record bauxite export from Guinea provided a meaningful tailwind to Capesize mile demand, reinforcing the constructive long-term demand outlook for the segment. In addition, market sentiment and broader travel fundamentals were further supported by strength in the Panamax market driven by increased grain exports from Brazil and the United States as well as additional coal and stocking towards the year-end. Moving to 2026 in regards of Capesize demand, we have started very strongly with the BCI averaging 22,000 over the first 2 weeks of the year, marking one of the strongest first quarters of the past decades. Guinea bauxite exports have grown by 14% year-over-year, while dry weather in Brazil and Australia has resulted in high iron ore cargo activity during a traditionally weak seasonal period. For the rest of 2026, the demand outlook remains constructive, with bauxite trade expected to continue its growth path and iron ore miners production and sales outlook pointing to resilient trade volumes. This trend looks set to continue into 2027 with a Simandou mining project in West Africa, ramping up its output. China's demand for high-grade iron ore remains healthy, supporting demand for imported iron ore versus lower-quality domestically produced one. Moving on to Capesize supply. The supply picture for the larger bulkers, especially Capesizes, points to further tightness and limited vessel availability for the next few years. The order book currently represents 12% of the fleet compared to about 9% of the fleet being 20 years or older. Moreover, what is significantly important is that right now, 40% of all the larger bulkers. Capesize, Newcastlemax and VOCs, 40% exceeds 15 years of average rates. So we are talking about an excessively aging fleet. At the current pace of vessel ordering and given the limited capacity of shipyards to deliver new buildings, it becomes clear that the supply tightness is likely to continue over the next many years. As regards our near-term forecast, 2026 and 2027 are also likely to be affected by the extensive dry docking of the current ships that usually entails considerable downtime. With more than 20% of the World Capesize plate built 2011, 2012, a significant portion of vessels will undergo their 15-year special survey in 2026, 2027 temporarily reducing the effective supply plus, of course, a significant cost. This is expected to result in a fleet capacity reduction of more than 1.5% in both years while some estimates calling for 2% to 2.5% reduction. This should not be underestimated as it would counteract the 2.2% expected fleet growth due to newbuilding deliveries and could continue to contribute to periods of significant market tightening during the next 2 years. To summarize, as we have seen in the past, the Capesize market will always be subject to considerable volatility stemming from multiple unpredicted factors, but the limited vessel supply that is shaping up over the next few years, along with increased ton mile demand should result in positive trend for charter rates. We're pleased to see this positive trend unfold over the past 2 to 3 years, and we're confident in our view of a strong market in the following years. As I mentioned before, Seanergy is optimally positioned to deliver our stated priorities of capital returns and fleet growth, while maintaining a sustainable balance sheet throughout the cycle. In our view, we're very well placed to deliver strong financial performance over the next few years and we are, therefore, excited about our prospects. On this note, I would like to turn the call over to the operator and answer any questions you may have. Operator, please take the call. Thank you.

[Operator Instructions]. And the questions come from the line of Liam Burke from B. Riley Securities.

Hello, Liam. Good morning.

Stamatios, you've been very nimble in terms of managing your fleet and maximizing the rate environment. I mean, a year ago, you were out dissing the BCI even when rates are low. But are you seeing anything in the market where it's more prudent to add longer-term time charters versus moving more of the fleet into the spot market?

Well, we constantly are. If you see the release, we have about 35% of our days already pretty much in some sort of long-term contracts. that carry all the way to the end of the year. As we are progressing after the Chinese New Year that we expect to see more strengthening in the market. We will continue switching more and more ships from floating to fixed. So already, we have 35% at around 27,000. And as the year we'll be progressing, we will do some more.

Okay. You have gotten -- how are you balancing going forward, inflated asset values, some of your older vessels versus what looks to be a fairly attractive rate environment for the next 2 to 3 years.

Well, that's exactly what we're doing right now. I mean we were able to secure very prone delivery slots for new buildings. First of all, let me step back a little bit. The 5-year-old ships, as you know, have been very much inflated. So for 5-year-old ships, it's kind of and no goal for acquisitions. So it's pretty much identical to new buildings or a bit lower than that. So we decided to seek new buildings at high-quality shipyards. But then the question was whether we're going to have debt capital in these orders or not. And then due to our connections and excellent relationships, we're able to secure very prone for the caps market delivery slots. And we weren't ahead and we placed a couple of ships. Actually three ships for 2027 and one for 2028. So that's how we manage. So once we identify prompt slots for new buildings, we will likely continue doing a few more. While at the same time, we might be disposing some of our older assets. the way that we did it right now with Dukeship from Seanergy to United or some other more, let's say, interesting ideas, but that's how much we're going to do it. So if we were able to add three ships and dispose of a couple or you're going to add a few more. That's how we're going to do it.

We are now going to proceed with our next question. And the questions come from the line of Mark Reichman from Noble Capital Markets.

Maybe Slide 6 would be the slide to look at. But just following up on the last question, how -- it is a favorable financing environment. You're able to get these sustainable linked loans. But when you think about these -- the high asset values of the existing fleet versus the new builds, what are your expectations in terms of your weighted average cost of capital and your your return on invested capital on maybe some of these new builds. And would you expect the difference to widen or kind of how are you thinking about that and managing that into your decisions?

Well, that's an excellent question, and thank you. The answer is yes. We are seeing inflation and inflated prices all across the shipping new building assets. So it's not only a Capesize or Newcastlemax situation. We are seeing that all over the place. You see that on tankers, containers LNG and, of course, on other dry bulk, smaller dry bulk ships. At the end of the day, however, the amount of money you spend for the CapEx is basically what you expect to make in return, like you very well asked. Thanks to the very -- to the excellent efforts from our finance department, we're able to secure financing terms that will keep the all-in cash breakeven of these new acquisitions at around $20,000 a day. So the forward rate now stands anywhere between, let's say, 26,000 and 30,000 for a standard Cape. If you count in the premium of these modern ships, that exceeds 30,000 loss day. So if we're able to secure anywhere between $8,000 and $12,000, $13,000 a day on a net cash flow basis and you do the math you can automatically see that the return on equity on these assets is quite significant. That's how we approach.

That's very helpful. And then I kind of always asked this question on the conference calls. What are your expectations in terms of operational off-hire days for 2026?

I believe it's going to be consistent with 2025, but maybe a little lower than that. we have a much softer dry dock schedule in '26 compared to '25. So I believe it's going to be a bit lower than 2025.

Okay. And then just a last question. This is really a client-driven question. Could you speak to the limited shipyard availability? I guess the question was really kind of the low order book versus the limited shipyard availabilities into growing.

Well, again, that's an excellent question. There is no such thing as a limited shipbuilding capacity. I believe that the global shipbuilding capacity especially coming from China, as well as Korea and Japan is all-time high. But the good thing is that it's pretty much covered by other types of chips. We have tremendous order book on containers, also on the tankers as well as smaller bulkers and other ships. So the order book for the standard Capesize and the Newcastlemax is quite limited. Because it's pretty much covered by all the other asset classes. Also, it's too far down the road. I mean, if you ask for a spar today, it's likely going to come back with 2029 or 2030. So given the fact that a very big percentage of the current fleet is already quite old, I don't expect to be in a position. I don't expect to be in a position to be replaced with modern tonnage until well before 2031, '32, just to have a normal churn rate to put it this way.

[Operator Instructions]. We are now going to proceed with our next question. The questions come from the line of Tate Sullivan from Maxim Group.

Great comments and congratulations on the new builds. And in light of the newbuild program. Can you comment and remind us on the current dividend policy and how you're looking at evaluating the dividend with the newbuild expenditures going forward, please? Because I think there's a discretionary cash reserve element in the dividend, but wanted to double check.

Thank you very much for your question. We do not expect the dividend policy to be affected by the new buildings. The sale of the [ YuXIP ] some other planned things that we intend to make. If we are to put additional new buildings will likely be more than sufficient in order to cover all the cash expenditure and of course, the efforts of Stavros at the finance department to get the financing in place will it's going to be unlikely to affect our dividend policy. So we will and we expect to be in a position to start renewing our fleet. Without affecting the operating cash flow and the dividend that we will continue to pay to our shareholders.

And the second question, you mentioned already having some very early contracting discussions regarding the new builds. And it seems like in the last 5 years, maybe the tanker sector would lock in multiyear contracts that below market fixed rates maybe at the rest of the lenders. How are you strategizing of contracting the new builds? Are you considering the multiyear? Or is that a dynamic part of the conversation you have with the lenders, please?

Well, not so much. I mean, our lenders are very comfortable with the fact that our balance sheet is very solid. We have very low loan to value right now. We have a very significant cash balance. So as far as we keep our order book in a well-managed situation, I don't think that any of our existing lenders is going to have an issue. And we see a very strong appetite from new lenders in order to provide additional financing. So I don't see that as an issue altogether. Now fixing the ships for 5 years or 7 years, we are, of course, considering and we feel that these ships are in very high demand from our charters. I think closer to the delivery may be in a few months from now, end of the year. we will be in a position to fix some of the ships in long-term periods. But I don't want them to be below market just to sacrifice the operating cash flow of the ships.

Thank you. This concludes the question-and-answer session and today's conference call. Thank you for participating. You may now disconnect your lines. Speakers,please stand by.