The COVID-19 pandemic has had lasting effects on numerous aspects of life: Zoom calls. Work from Home. Inflation. It also left a lasting mark on ship finance – a deleveraged industry!

The first half of 2025 could thus far be defined by extreme volatility. Shipping markets have fluctuated rapidly, in part due to changing fundamentals, and also due to external factors involving the global political landscape. Companies: Golden Energy Offshore Service , Fleetscape, Cadeler, COSCO, DNB, Norton Rose Fulbright, China Export & Credit Insurance Corporation, Export Finance Norway

In capital-intensive industries like commodity shipping—where volatility is high and public companies often trade below liquidation or NAV—stock buybacks have emerged as a powerful tool for capital allocation. Companies: Wilh. Wilhelmsen Holdings, DNB Carnegie, Pangaea Logistics Solutions, , M.T. Maritime Management

Dividend distributions, investments into the company, or share buybacks? The debate over how best to allocate capital continues once again this week, as various companies reveal new repurchasing plans, distribute special dividends, and/or recapitalize their business, all while seeking to deliver value to their shareholders. Company: Dynagas LNG Partners

In less than one week, the industry’s most influential owners, financiers, advisors, lawyers, investors, and more will gather at the Pierre Hotel for Marine Money’s 37th Annual Marine Money Week.

Marine Money’s highly anticipated Credit Issue is almost here, offering a detailed look at the global financial institutions that fuel the maritime industry. Companies: EnTrust Global, SEACOR Marine, Rocktree Group, Belships ASA

Jim Lawrence was one of a kind. He was the sort of person you might meet once in your lifetime—if you’re very lucky. And we were all very lucky.

Over the past few years of shipping’s “Golden Age,” it has been difficult, though not impossible, to make deals stand out. One such exemplary transaction was executed by Frontline, which completed a deal in late 2023, that ended a takeover battle for Euronav with CMB. Companies: Frontline, Euronav, CMB, Hemen Holdings, ING, First Citizens, Crédit Agricole SEB, Jefferies

Equity capital markets in shipping are constantly evolving. From traditional IPOs, to the emergence of SPACs in the early 2000s, reverse-mergers, and of course, spin-offs. The original spin-offs were championed by companies like Navios or Teekay and had a clear objective: separate different sectors of business to create “pure-plays” which not only achieve greater valuations, but unlock further growth. Companies: Navios, Teekay, TOP Ships, Rubico

With uncertainty around fuel alternatives and regulatory implementation, shipowners have been cautious about committing to newbuilds. Companies: Tufton, Anemoi, Union Maritime , Seabreeze, Maersk, Odfjell , bound4blue, TORM, ME Production

The past few weeks have been full of new debt deals, the majority of which have been from internationally recognized shipping companies, and large-scale shipping finance institutions. Companies: ESL Shipping, Aspo Plc , China Merchants Jinling Shipyard., Nordic Investment Bank, Svenska Skeppshypotek

Whether it is in Oslo or New York, new public companies in shipping are becoming rarer. At least in the sense of a truly new public vehicle that was previously private (not including spin-offs for example). Companies: Solstad Group , Solstad Maritime , Aker, AMSC, Solstad Offshore, Euronext Oslo Bors