Star Bulk Carriers (NASDAQ:SBLK) COO Nikolaos Reskos Sells 9,914 Shares

Key Points

• COO Nikolaos Reskos sold shares of Star Bulk Carriers in multiple transactions, including 9,914 shares on May 20 at $26.55, and the sales were made under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.
• Star Bulk Carriers raised its quarterly dividend to $0.50 per share from $0.37, implying a $2.00 annualized dividend yield of about 7.6%, alongside a policy to return 100% of free cash flow.
• The company’s stock traded down 2.0% to $26.37, while recent earnings showed EPS of $0.62, topping estimates even as revenue came in below expectations.

Star Bulk Carriers Corp. (NASDAQ:SBLK - Get Free Report) COO Nikolaos Reskos sold 9,914 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $26.55, for a total value of $263,216.70. Following the sale, the chief operating officer owned 397,775 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,560,926.25. The trade was a 2.43% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.

Nikolaos Reskos also recently made the following trade(s):

• On Thursday, May 21st, Nikolaos Reskos sold 30,000 shares of Star Bulk Carriers stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $27.29, for a total transaction of $818,700.00.
• On Monday, May 18th, Nikolaos Reskos sold 33,103 shares of Star Bulk Carriers stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $26.28, for a total transaction of $869,946.84.
• On Tuesday, May 19th, Nikolaos Reskos sold 86 shares of Star Bulk Carriers stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $26.49, for a total transaction of $2,278.14.
• On Wednesday, April 15th, Nikolaos Reskos sold 8,406 shares of Star Bulk Carriers stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $25.05, for a total transaction of $210,570.30.
• On Tuesday, April 14th, Nikolaos Reskos sold 1,594 shares of Star Bulk Carriers stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $25.00, for a total transaction of $39,850.00.

Star Bulk Carriers Trading Down 2.0%

Star Bulk Carriers stock traded down $0.55 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $26.37. The stock had a trading volume of 670,843 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,429,043. Star Bulk Carriers Corp. has a twelve month low of $15.78 and a twelve month high of $28.28. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34, a current ratio of 1.78 and a quick ratio of 1.65. The firm has a market cap of $2.99 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.12 and a beta of 0.71. The firm's fifty day simple moving average is $24.47 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $22.24.

Star Bulk Carriers (NASDAQ:SBLK - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, February 25th. The shipping company reported $0.62 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.52 by $0.10. The company had revenue of $230.79 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $250.51 million. Star Bulk Carriers had a net margin of 13.01% and a return on equity of 6.82%. Equities analysts anticipate that Star Bulk Carriers Corp. will post 3.85 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Star Bulk Carriers Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 22nd. Investors of record on Friday, June 12th will be given a dividend of $0.50 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, June 12th. This is a positive change from Star Bulk Carriers's previous quarterly dividend of $0.37. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 7.6%. Star Bulk Carriers's payout ratio is presently 202.74%.

Trending Headlines about Star Bulk Carriers

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

• Positive Sentiment: Star Bulk reported stronger-than-expected first-quarter 2026 results, beating earnings estimates and posting a net profit of $58.5 million, which supports the case for improved operating performance in the dry bulk shipping market.
• Positive Sentiment: The company raised its quarterly dividend to $0.50 per share from $0.37, a meaningful increase that underscores confidence in cash generation and shareholder returns.
• Positive Sentiment: Management also outlined a policy of returning 100% of free cash flow while keeping a $2.1 million per-vessel minimum cash balance, a signal that Star Bulk plans to remain disciplined while still rewarding investors. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: There was also a disclosure that COO Nikolaos Reskos sold shares under a pre-arranged 10b5-1 plan, which may draw attention but is less likely to be a major fundamental concern. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Investors are also likely digesting transcripts and presentation materials from the earnings call, which may clarify how sustainable the higher dividend and cash return policy will be going forward. Article Title

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have commented on SBLK. Zacks Research upgraded Star Bulk Carriers from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 22nd. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Star Bulk Carriers from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Saturday, April 18th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a "buy" rating and set a $32.00 price target on shares of Star Bulk Carriers in a report on Friday. Jefferies Financial Group started coverage on shares of Star Bulk Carriers in a research report on Friday, April 24th. They set a "buy" rating and a $29.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Star Bulk Carriers in a research note on Friday, March 27th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have assigned a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Buy" and an average target price of $30.50.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Royal Bank of Canada lifted its holdings in shares of Star Bulk Carriers by 94.3% during the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 117,275 shares of the shipping company's stock valued at $1,825,000 after buying an additional 56,930 shares during the last quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC raised its position in Star Bulk Carriers by 59.7% during the first quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 1,298,436 shares of the shipping company's stock valued at $20,204,000 after acquiring an additional 485,436 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its position in Star Bulk Carriers by 2.3% during the second quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 122,115 shares of the shipping company's stock valued at $2,106,000 after acquiring an additional 2,748 shares in the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted its stake in Star Bulk Carriers by 673.1% in the second quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 49,471 shares of the shipping company's stock valued at $853,000 after acquiring an additional 43,072 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Star Bulk Carriers in the second quarter valued at approximately $1,444,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 33.91% of the company's stock.

Star Bulk Carriers Company Profile

Star Bulk Carriers Corp is a global shipping company engaged in the ocean transport of dry bulk commodities. The company owns and operates a diversified fleet of bulk carriers, including Handymax, Supramax, Panamax and Capesize vessels. Its ships are designed to carry a broad range of cargoes, such as iron ore, coal, grain, bauxite and phosphate, catering to industrial and agricultural customers worldwide.

The company's vessels operate on major trade routes across the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans, connecting producers and consumers in Asia, Europe, North and South America.

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