Record Quarter and Strong H1 Outlook
Q1 2026 was a record quarter for OET; management expects Q1+Q2 combined to be stronger than any previous year in company history, with commentary that potential distributions tied to the half-year approach the company's 2018 listing price.
Outstanding Earnings and Profitability
Fleet-wide TCE ~ $93,000 per vessel per day (management cites $93,100); spot VLCC TCE ~$106,000–$106,400/day and Suezmax spot TCE ~$81,600–$82,000/day. Reported adjusted EBITDA of $110 million, adjusted net profit of $89 million, and adjusted EPS of $2.33 for Q1.
Generous and Consistent Dividend Policy
Board declared 16th consecutive quarterly dividend of $2.00 per share (the highest quarterly dividend since inception), representing 88% of reported net income post-January equity transaction. Over the last 4 quarters the company distributed $5.00 per share (96% of reported net income) and has paid out ~$550 million in dividends since IPO (~2.5x initial market cap).
Strong Commercial Outperformance vs Peers
Company outperformed peers materially: Q1 VLCC performance ~28.5% higher and Suezmax ~20% higher vs reported peers; management estimates Q2 fixed book is ~45% higher on VLCCs and ~24% higher on Suezmaxes relative to peers. Cumulative outperformance vs peers since Q4 2019 ~ $256 million.
Robust Q2 Forward Cover and High Fix Rates
As of the call ~56% of available VLCC spot days were fixed at $223,900/day and ~60% of Suezmax days fixed at $187,300/day, giving a fixed-portion fleet average of ~ $202,900/day.
Improved Capital Structure and Low-Cost Financing
Completed multiple refinancings and buybacks of sale-leasebacks: new loans include $50M (7yr, SOFR+125bps), $50M (9yr, SOFR+130bps), and $90M (8yr, SOFR+120bps). All loans priced below 2%; weighted average margin 1.47% (improvement >200bps vs pre-transition), yielding estimated >$15M/year interest savings on consolidated debt pro forma > $750M.
Healthy Balance Sheet and Liquidity
Quarter-end cash of $176.5 million (including equity earmarked for acquisitions), nearly $80 million in trade receivables, restricted cash including $45 million short-term deposit vs loan; book leverage 41% and market-adjusted net LTV just over ~30% pro forma for acquisitions.
Young, Modern Fleet and Growth via Acquisitions
Fleet of 16 vessels on the water (8 Suezmax, 8 VLCC) with an average age of ~6 years; two additional Suezmax newbuilds (Nissos Tigani and Nissos Vous) due for delivery shortly, further improving average fleet age and commercial exposure.
Supportive Market Fundamentals (Hormuz Disruption & Inventories)
Management highlights structural demand tailwinds from the Strait of Hormuz disruption (pre-closure exports ~14.9m bpd vs pipeline rerouting capacity ~7.4m bpd → ~7.5m bpd ton-mile shortfall) and low OECD commercial inventories, which underpin elevated tanker rates and prolonged strength across scenarios modeled.