UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 6-K
REPORT OF FOREIGN PRIVATE ISSUER PURSUANT TO RULE 13A-16 OR 15D-16 OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the month of May 2011
Commission File Number: 001-33869
STAR BULK CARRIERS CORP. |
(Translation of registrants name into English) |
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Star Bulk Carriers Corp. c/o Star Bulk Management Inc. 7, Fragoklisias Street, 2nd Floor Maroussi 151 25 Athens, Greece |
(Address of principal executive office) |
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual reports under cover of Form 20-F or Form 40-F.
Form 20-F [ X ] Form 40-F [ ]
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper as permitted by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(1): [ ].
Note: Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(1) only permits the submission in paper of a Form 6-K if submitted solely to provide an attached annual report to security holders.
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper as permitted by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(7): [ ].
Note: Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(7) only permits the submission in paper of a Form 6-K if submitted to furnish a report or other document that the registrant foreign private issuer must furnish and make public under the laws of the jurisdiction in which the registrant is incorporated, domiciled or legally organized (the registrant's "home country"), or under the rules of the home country exchange on which the registrant's securities are traded, as long as the report or other document is not a press release, is not required to be and has not been distributed to the registrant's security holders, and, if discussing a material event, has already been the subject of a Form 6-K submission or other Commission filing on EDGAR.
INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS FORM 6-K REPORT
Attached as Exhibit 1 is a copy of the press release of Star Bulk Carriers Corp. (the Company) dated May 13, 2011: Star Bulk Acquires two Capesize Vessels with Long Term Time Charters Attached.
This report to Form 6-K is hereby incorporated by reference into the Company's registration statement on Form F-3 (File No. 333-153304) that was filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("Commission") with an effective date of November 3, 2008, and the Company's registration statement on Form F-3 (File No. 333-156843) that was filed with the Commission with an effective date of February 12, 2009.
Exhibit 1
STAR BULK ACQUIRES TWO CAPESIZE VESSELS
WITH LONG TERM TIMECHARTERS ATTACHED
ATHENS, GREECE, May13, 2011 Star Bulk Carriers Corp. (the Company or Star Bulk) (Nasdaq: SBLK),a global shipping company focusing on the transportation of dry bulk cargoes, today announced that it has entered into definitive agreements to acquire two Capesize bulk carriersfor an aggregate purchase price of approximately $51.5 million.
The first Capesize vessel has a carrying capacity of approximately 168,000 dwt and was built in South Korea in 1996. This vessel has a time charter agreement with a major mining company until November 2015 at the earliest, at a gross daily rate of $25,000. The vessel is expected to generate $38-44 million in gross revenue and is currently expected to be delivered to Star Bulk within July 2011.
The second Capesize vessel has a carrying capacity of approximately 170,000 dwt and was built in Japan in 1994. This vessel has a time charter agreement with a major mining company until August 2014 at the earliest, at a gross daily rate of $24,500. The vessel is expected to generate $26-31 million in gross revenue and is currently expected to be delivered to Star Bulk within July 2011.
The vessels are being acquired from companies, in which family members of our Chairman, Mr Petros Pappas, hold minority stakes. The new vessel acquisitions will be financed through a combination of company cash and bank debt.
Spyros Capralos, President and CEO of Star Bulk commented: We are pleased to acquire these two vessels that will increase significantly our fleets carrying and earnings capacity. We believe that the time charter agreements that the two vessels have attached to them will substantially enhance our revenue visibility and improve our financial results going forward, since they are expected to contribute a minimum of $64 million to a maximum of $75 million in gross revenue. We will continue to be on the lookout for opportunities to structure accretive transactions that increase shareholder value.
About Star Bulk
Star Bulk is a global shipping company providing worldwide seaborne transportation solutions in the dry bulk sector. Star Bulk's vessels transport major bulks, which include iron ore, coal and grain and minor bulks such as bauxite, fertilizers and steel products. Star Bulk was incorporated in the Marshall Islands on December 13, 2006 and maintains executive offices in Athens, Greece. Its common stock trades on the Nasdaq Global Market under the symbol "SBLK". Currently, Star Bulk has an operating fleet of eleven dry bulk carriers, definitive agreements to build two Capesize vessels and definitive agreements to acquire two Capesize vessels. The total fleet consists of fifteen vessels, seven Capesize, and eight Supramax dry bulk vessels with a combined cargo carrying capacity of 1,626,721 deadweight tons. The average age of our current operating fleet is approximately 11 years.
Forward-Looking Statements
Matters discussed in this press release may constitute forward-looking statements. The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides safe harbor protections for forward-looking statements in order to encourage companies to provide prospective information about their business. Forward-looking statements include statements concerning plans, objectives, goals, strategies, future events or performance, and underlying assumptions and other statements, which are other than statements of historical facts.
The Company desires to take advantage of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and is including this cautionary statement in connection with this safe harbor legislation. The words believe, anticipate, intends, estimate, forecast, project, plan, potential, may, should, expect, pending and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements.
The forward-looking statements in this press release are based upon various assumptions, many of which are based, in turn, upon further assumptions, including without limitation, examination by the Companys management of historical operating trends, data contained in its records and other data available from third parties. Although the Company believes that these assumptions were reasonable when made, because these assumptions are inherently subject to significant uncertainties and contingencies which are difficult or impossible to predict and are beyond the Companys control, the Company cannot assure you that it will achieve or accomplish these expectations, beliefs or projections.
In addition to these important factors, other important factors that, in the Companys view, could cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements include the strength of world economies and currencies, general market conditions, including fluctuations in charter rates and vessel values, changes in demand for dry bulk shipping capacity, changes in the Companys operating expenses, including bunker prices, drydocking and insurance costs, the market for the Companys vessels, availability of financing and refinancing, changes in governmental rules and regulations or actions taken by regulatory authorities, potential liability from pending or future litigation, general domestic and international political conditions, potential disruption of shipping routes due to accidents or political events, vessels breakdowns and instances of off-hires and other factors. Please see our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission for a more complete discussion of these and other risks and uncertainties. The information set forth herein speaks only as of the date hereof, and the Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update any forward-looking statements as a result of developments occurring after the date of this communication.
Contacts :
Company:
George Syllantavos
CFO
Star Bulk Carriers Corp.
c/o Star Bulk Management Inc.
7 FragoklisiasStr.
Maroussi 15125
Athens, Greece
www.starbulk.com
Investor Relations / Financial Media:
Nicolas Bornozis
President
Capital Link, Inc.
230 Park Avenue, Suite 1536
New York, NY 10169
Tel. (212) 661-7566
E-mail: starbulk@capitallink.com
www.capitallink.com
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
STAR BULK CARRIERS CORP.
(Registrant)
Date: May 13, 2011 | By: | /s/ SPYROS CAPRALOS |
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| Name: | Spyros Capralos |
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| Title: | Chief Executive Officer and President |
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