Star Bulk Carriers (NASDAQ:SBLK) Insider Charis Plakantonaki Buys 3,000 Shares of Stock

Key Points

• Insider Charis Plakantonaki bought 3,000 Star Bulk shares at an average price of $28.27, investing $84,810 and increasing her holdings by 5.38% to 58,778 shares. She had sold 21,650 shares in two August transactions.
• Star Bulk reported quarterly EPS of $1.21, exceeding estimates of $0.95, while revenue reached $284.6 million. The company also raised its quarterly dividend to $0.90, implying a 11.3% annualized yield, though its payout ratio is elevated at 141.18%.
• SBLK shares recently traded at $31.77, near their 52-week high of $32.88, and analysts maintain a generally positive outlook with a consensus “Buy” rating and a $31.50 price target. A recent equity offering strengthened liquidity but may dilute existing shareholders.

Star Bulk Carriers Corp. (NASDAQ:SBLK - Get Free Report) insider Charis Plakantonaki purchased 3,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 15th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $28.27 per share, with a total value of $84,810.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the insider owned 58,778 shares in the company, valued at $1,661,654.06. This represents a 5.38% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink.

Charis Plakantonaki also recently made the following trade(s):

• On Monday, August 17th, Charis Plakantonaki sold 10,825 shares of Star Bulk Carriers stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $29.82, for a total value of $322,801.50.
• On Friday, August 14th, Charis Plakantonaki sold 10,825 shares of Star Bulk Carriers stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $28.95, for a total value of $313,383.75.

Star Bulk Carriers Price Performance

NASDAQ:SBLK traded up $0.90 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $31.77. 265,264 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,428,383. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $29.05 and a 200 day moving average price of $26.58. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.60 billion, a PE ratio of 12.46 and a beta of 0.70. Star Bulk Carriers Corp. has a 1-year low of $16.72 and a 1-year high of $32.88. The company has a current ratio of 1.91, a quick ratio of 1.74 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32.

Star Bulk Carriers (NASDAQ:SBLK - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 5th. The shipping company reported $1.21 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.95 by $0.26. Star Bulk Carriers had a net margin of 23.87% and a return on equity of 11.72%. The firm had revenue of $284.60 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $284.29 million. Research analysts expect that Star Bulk Carriers Corp. will post 4.32 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Star Bulk Carriers Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, September 3rd. Investors of record on Friday, August 21st were issued a $0.90 dividend. This represents a $3.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 11.3%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 21st. This is an increase from Star Bulk Carriers's previous quarterly dividend of $0.50. Star Bulk Carriers's payout ratio is presently 141.18%.

Key Headlines Impacting Star Bulk Carriers

Here are the key news stories impacting Star Bulk Carriers this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Company insiders bought a combined 33,000 shares worth approximately $932,910 at $28.27 per share. Purchases included 15,000 shares by CFO Symeon Spyrou, 10,000 by COO Nikolaos Rescos, 6,000 by Director Koert Erhardt and 2,000 by Director Nikolaos Karellis. The purchases may signal that management views SBLK as attractively valued. Insider buying report
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks added SBLK to its Rank #1 “Strong Buy” list and its Strong Buy income-stock list. The upgrade may attract momentum and dividend-focused investors, although it does not directly change the company’s earnings outlook. Zacks Strong Buy report
• Positive Sentiment: Star Bulk completed a public offering tied to its Euronext Athens listing, raising approximately €107.8 million. The proceeds strengthen liquidity and could support fleet investments or other corporate purposes. Euronext offering results
• Neutral Sentiment: The company listed on Euronext Athens and formally designated Greece as its home member state under Greek securities law. The move broadens access to European investors but has limited immediate effect on revenue or cash flow. Euronext listing announcement
• Negative Sentiment: The follow-on equity offering increases the number of shares outstanding, creating potential dilution for existing shareholders and adding near-term selling pressure. Investors will weigh that risk against the company’s stronger balance-sheet liquidity. Follow-on offering report

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have issued reports on SBLK shares. Weiss Ratings raised Star Bulk Carriers from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "buy (b)" rating in a report on Thursday, August 27th. Zacks Research raised Star Bulk Carriers from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Friday, August 14th. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their target price on Star Bulk Carriers from $29.00 to $31.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, May 28th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $32.00 target price on shares of Star Bulk Carriers in a research report on Friday, May 22nd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and three have given a Buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target of $31.50.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Star Bulk Carriers

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Raiffeisen Bank International AG boosted its position in Star Bulk Carriers by 26.3% during the 2nd quarter. Raiffeisen Bank International AG now owns 66,429 shares of the shipping company's stock worth $1,659,000 after acquiring an additional 13,851 shares during the period. BTG Pactual Asset Management US LLC increased its holdings in shares of Star Bulk Carriers by 3.9% in the 2nd quarter. BTG Pactual Asset Management US LLC now owns 53,570 shares of the shipping company's stock valued at $1,338,000 after purchasing an additional 1,986 shares during the period. Headlands Technologies LLC lifted its position in shares of Star Bulk Carriers by 0.8% in the second quarter. Headlands Technologies LLC now owns 66,333 shares of the shipping company's stock worth $1,656,000 after purchasing an additional 518 shares in the last quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio purchased a new stake in shares of Star Bulk Carriers in the second quarter worth approximately $1,371,000. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE boosted its holdings in shares of Star Bulk Carriers by 48.5% during the first quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 565,562 shares of the shipping company's stock worth $12,991,000 after purchasing an additional 184,837 shares during the period. 33.91% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Star Bulk Carriers Company Profile

Star Bulk Carriers Corp. is a global dry bulk shipping company that owns and operates vessels used to transport major and minor bulk commodities. Its fleet serves the international supply chains for iron ore, grain, bauxite, fertilizers, steel products and other dry cargoes.

The company operates a diversified fleet that includes large Capesize and Newcastlemax vessels as well as Panamax, Ultramax and Supramax bulk carriers. Star Bulk's vessels serve customers and ports across major shipping routes worldwide, supporting commodity trade between producers, exporters and end markets.

Star Bulk Carriers was founded in 2006 and is headquartered in Maroussi, Greece, with the company incorporated in the Marshall Islands.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.