ATHENS, Greece, Dec. 24, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Diana Shipping Inc. (NYSE: DSX) (the “Company”), a global shipping company specializing in the ownership of dry bulk vessels, today announced the preliminary results of its tender offer to purchase up to 4,166,666 shares of its common stock, par value of US$0.01 per share (the “common stock”), at a price of US$3.60 per share, net to the seller in cash, less any applicable withholding taxes and without interest. The tender offer expired at 5:00 P.M., Eastern Time, on December 21, 2018.
Based on a preliminary count by Computershare Trust Company, N.A., the depositary for the tender offer, the total number of shares tendered in the tender offer was 11,128,722.4506 shares, including 173,693 shares tendered pursuant to the guaranteed delivery procedure described in the tender offer documents. Because the preliminary information received from the depositary indicates that the tender offer was oversubscribed, it is expected that the number of shares that the Company will purchase from each tendering shareholder will be prorated so that the Company purchases a total of 4,166,666 shares in the tender offer for an aggregate purchase price of approximately US$15.0 million.
The number of shares of common stock expected to be purchased by the Company, the aggregate purchase price for the shares, and the proration factor are preliminary and subject to final confirmation by the depositary and the proper delivery of shares tendered, including shares tendered pursuant to the guaranteed delivery procedure. The final results of the tender offer, including the final proration factor, will be announced promptly following completion of the confirmation process. Payment for shares of common stock accepted for purchase by the Company will be made in accordance with the terms of the tender offer promptly following final confirmation of the number of shares tendered and the final proration factor, and taking into account adjustments to avoid purchases of fractional shares. Certificates for all shares tendered and not purchased, including shares not purchased due to proration will be returned or, in the case of shares tendered by book-entry transfer, will be credited to the account maintained with the book-entry transfer facility by the participant who delivered the shares to the tendering pursuant to the terms of the tender offer.
If shareholders have any questions, please call our information agent, Georgeson Inc., by telephone, toll free at (800) 248-7690.
About the Company
The Company is a global provider of shipping transportation services through its ownership of dry bulk vessels. The Company’s vessels are employed primarily on medium to long-term time charters and transport a range of dry bulk cargoes, including such commodities as iron ore, coal, grain and other materials along worldwide shipping routes.
Certain Information Regarding the Tender Offer
The information in this press release describing the Company’s tender offer is for informational purposes only and does not constitute an offer to buy or the solicitation of an offer to sell shares of the Company’s common stock in the tender offer. The tender offer is being made only pursuant to the Offer to Purchase and the related materials that the Company is distributing to its shareholders, as they may be amended or supplemented. Shareholders should read such Offer to Purchase and related materials carefully and in their entirety because they contain important information, including the various terms and conditions of the tender offer. Shareholders of the Company may obtain a free copy of the Tender Offer Statement on Schedule TO, the Offer to Purchase and other documents that the Company has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission from the Securities and Exchange Commission’s website at www.sec.gov. Shareholders may also obtain a copy of these documents, without charge, from Georgeson Inc., the information agent for the tender offer, toll free at (800) 248-7690. Shareholders are urged to carefully read all of these materials prior to making any decision with respect to the tender offer. Shareholders and investors who have questions or need assistance may call Georgeson Inc., the information agent for the tender offer, toll free at (800) 248-7690.
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,” “intends,” “estimate,” “forecast,” “project,” “plan,” “potential,” “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, the Company management’s examination of historical operating trends, data contained in the Company’s records and other data available from third parties. Although the Company believes that these assumptions were reasonable when made, because these assumptions are inherently subject to significant uncertainties and contingencies that are difficult or impossible to predict and are beyond the Company’s control, the Company cannot assure you that it will achieve or accomplish these expectations, beliefs or projections.
In addition to these important factors, other important factors that, in the Company’s 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 for dry bulk shipping capacity, changes in the Company’s operating expenses, including bunker prices, drydocking and insurance costs, the market for the Company’s 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, vessel breakdowns and instances of off-hires and other factors. Please see the Company’s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for a more complete discussion of these and other risks and uncertainties. The Company undertakes no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statement, or to make any other forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
CONTACT: Corporate Contact: Ioannis Zafirakis Director, Chief Strategy Officer and Secretary Telephone: + 30-210-9470-100 Email: [email protected] Website: www.dianashippinginc.com Investor and Media Relations: Edward Nebb Comm-Counsellors, LLC Telephone: + 1-203-972-8350 Email: [email protected]
