Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Shipping/STX Pan Ocean

Shipping/STX Pan Ocean: Korea Line Corp, South Korea’s 2nd largest operator of dry bulk carriers, has filed for receivership after several quarters of losses due to long term contracts for its chartered-in vessels locked in at high costs & exacerbated by plunging bulker rates. Dry-bulk rates have dived 58% in the past year to its lowest level in more than 2 yrs amid an expanding global fleet & slowing demand for commodities in China as rising prices for coking coal & iron ore curbed demand.

The Baltic Dry Index fell to 1,292 yday, the lowest since Feb 09 vs peak of 11,793 achieved in May 08. STX Pan Ocean, South Korea’s largest dry-bulk operator, has turned around from losses in 2009 & is expected to remain profitable. Stock is trading at 22.5x & 15.3x FY10 & FY11 P/Es r’pectively & P/B of 0.9x. STX OSV does not building bulk carriers, only offshore support vessels;

STX Offshore & Shipbuilding has orders for a VLCC & a capsize ship from Korea Line but the yard has not started
work on either vessel.

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