Star Bulk Carriers (NASDAQ:SBLK) COO Sells $818,700.00 in Stock

Key Points

• COO Nikolaos Reskos sold 30,000 shares of Star Bulk Carriers for about $818,700 at an average price of $27.29. The sale was made under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan, and he still held 367,775 shares afterward.
• Star Bulk Carriers raised its quarterly dividend to $0.50 per share from $0.37, lifting the annualized payout to $2.00 and the dividend yield to about 7.6%. Management also said it plans to return 100% of free cash flow while maintaining a minimum cash balance per vessel.
• The company recently beat first-quarter earnings estimates, reporting EPS of $0.62 versus expectations of $0.52, and analysts currently have a Buy consensus with a price target around $30.50. Shares were trading near $26.37, down 2% on the day of the report.

Star Bulk Carriers Corp. (NASDAQ:SBLK - Get Free Report) COO Nikolaos Reskos sold 30,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $27.29, for a total transaction of $818,700.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer directly owned 367,775 shares of the company's stock, valued at $10,036,579.75. The trade was a 7.54% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.

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

• On Wednesday, May 20th, Nikolaos Reskos sold 9,914 shares of Star Bulk Carriers stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $26.55, for a total transaction of $263,216.70.
• 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 value 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 value of $210,570.30.
• On Tuesday, April 14th, Nikolaos Reskos sold 1,594 shares of Star Bulk Carriers stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $25.00, for a total value of $39,850.00.

Star Bulk Carriers Stock Down 2.0%

Shares of NASDAQ SBLK traded down $0.55 on Friday, hitting $26.37. The company had a trading volume of 670,843 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,429,043. The company has a quick ratio of 1.65, a current ratio of 1.78 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34. Star Bulk Carriers Corp. has a 12-month low of $15.78 and a 12-month high of $28.28. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.99 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.12 and a beta of 0.71. The business has a 50 day moving average of $24.47 and a two-hundred day moving average of $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 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.52 by $0.10. The business had revenue of $230.79 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $250.51 million. Star Bulk Carriers had a return on equity of 6.82% and a net margin of 13.01%. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Star Bulk Carriers Corp. will post 3.85 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Star Bulk Carriers Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 22nd. Stockholders of record on Friday, June 12th will be paid a dividend of $0.50 per share. This is an increase from Star Bulk Carriers's previous quarterly dividend of $0.37. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 7.6%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, June 12th. Star Bulk Carriers's payout ratio is 202.74%.

Star Bulk Carriers News Roundup

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

Institutional Trading of Star Bulk Carriers

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Alliancebernstein L.P. raised its holdings in Star Bulk Carriers by 44.6% in the third quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 5,446,191 shares of the shipping company's stock valued at $101,245,000 after acquiring an additional 1,681,036 shares in the last quarter. Mirabella Financial Services LLP bought a new stake in shares of Star Bulk Carriers in the 3rd quarter worth about $73,967,000. Ameriprise Financial Inc. raised its stake in shares of Star Bulk Carriers by 33.2% in the 3rd quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 2,166,892 shares of the shipping company's stock valued at $40,283,000 after purchasing an additional 539,567 shares in the last quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC raised its stake in shares of Star Bulk Carriers by 13.0% in the 1st quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 2,067,637 shares of the shipping company's stock valued at $47,494,000 after purchasing an additional 237,248 shares in the last quarter. Finally, UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC lifted its position in shares of 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 worth $20,204,000 after purchasing an additional 485,436 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 33.91% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group initiated coverage on shares of Star Bulk Carriers in a report on Friday, April 24th. They set a "buy" rating and a $29.00 price target for the company. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Star Bulk Carriers from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Saturday, April 18th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $32.00 price objective on shares of Star Bulk Carriers in a research report on Friday. Zacks Research upgraded Star Bulk Carriers from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 22nd. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Star Bulk Carriers in a research report on Friday, March 27th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have assigned a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Buy" and a consensus target price of $30.50.

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.

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.