Premuda To Use $30M Bond To Buy Ships

Italian shipping company Premuda SpA has completed a $30.9 million bond issue in order to acquire more ships. The bond issue will give Premuda greater liquidity and allow it to acquire further bulk ships following a significant upward trend in dry cargo shipping markets, company officials said. Premuda officials said the company's affiliate, United Bulk International, recently acquired two 1993-built Panamax bulk carriers for about $26.7 million. The bonds will mature in five years and are limited to existing shareholders. The new bulk carriers, due to be delivered in the next few weeks, will take the group's fleet to 20 vessels including four oil tankers being built in Korea for delivery in 2001.