Ocean Tankers IPO to Raise $15m

According to Financial Mirror, Ocean Tankers Holdings Public Co. will be the first ocean-going shipping company to go public on the Cyprus Stock Exchange later this summer, after the Nicosia bourse failed to attract the flotations of three other Cypriot-owned shipping companies. Stelios Haji-Ioannou’s Stelmar, Charalambos Mylonas’ Transmed and the Mouskas family’s Zela Shipping were all companies that took a stab at the island’s exchange and gave up as the CSE authorities deliberated endlessly about the criteria for listing. The Ocean Tankers initial public offering (IPO) of approximately $15m, representing 30% of the company after the flotation, is expected to take place during the next two months as Ioannides embarks on a pre-marketing road show where he will announce novel ways to protect shareholder interest. The funds raised from the listing will be used to expand the fleet with new tankers as Ioannides stays ahead of the competition and builds up his fleet of double-hull tankers. Ocean Tankers presently has three vessels in its fleet -- the 8,000 dwt Victor, the new Chinese-built 7,600 dwt Timi and the 4,500 dwt Eleousa Trikoukiotisa, built in 2000. Source: Financial Mirror