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Imperial Petroleum, Inc. (IMPP)
NASDAQ:IMPP
US Market

Imperial Petroleum (IMPP) AI Stock Analysis

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IMPP

Imperial Petroleum

(NASDAQ:IMPP)

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Outperform 72 (OpenAI - 5.2)
Rating:72Outperform
Price Target:
$4.00
▲(13.31% Upside)
The score is driven mainly by solid financial strength (especially the low-leverage balance sheet and strong profitability) and supportive valuation from a low P/E. These positives are tempered by weak technical momentum and variability in free cash flow alongside cooling revenue/margins versus prior highs.
Positive Factors
Conservative balance sheet
Minimal leverage and an equity-dominated capital base materially reduce financial risk and interest burden. This gives management durable flexibility to weather tanker rate cycles, access capital on better terms, pursue accretive vessel buys, and sustain operations through downturns without solvency stress.
High operating margins
Sustained high operating and net margins indicate structural operating efficiency and pricing power within the fleet. Elevated margins support internal cash generation, improve returns on equity, and provide a buffer versus freight rate volatility, underpinning longer-term earnings resilience.
Funded fleet expansion
Securing $60M and executing vessel acquisitions expands capacity to ~26 vessels and increases calendar days and revenue potential. Committed funding and acquisition pipelines materially grow operating scale and long-term earnings capacity once new ships are integrated and utilization remains strong.
Negative Factors
Declining revenue trend
A multi-period revenue decline signals weakening top-line momentum that could outlast short freight cycles. Persistently lower revenue constrains margin recovery, reduces cash available for reinvestment, and makes returns more dependent on spot-rate improvements or successful fleet redeployment.
Volatile free cash flow
Irregular free cash flow undermines the firm's ability to fund capex, dividends, and acquisitions from operations. This variability forces reliance on external financing at inopportune times, increases refinancing and execution risk, and makes long-term planning and shareholder returns less predictable.
Related-party acquisition risk
Purchasing vessels from affiliated parties creates governance and conflict-of-interest concerns. Even with independent valuations, such deals can raise questions about price discovery, integration incentives, and minority shareholder protections, potentially harming long-term capital allocation credibility.

Imperial Petroleum (IMPP) vs. SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY)

Imperial Petroleum Business Overview & Revenue Model

Company DescriptionImperial Petroleum Inc. provides international seaborne transportation services to oil producers, refineries, and commodities traders. It carries refined petroleum products, such as gasoline, diesel, fuel oil, and jet fuel, as well as edible oils and chemicals; and crude oils. As of March 29, 2022, the company owned four medium range refined petroleum product tankers and one Aframax crude oil tanker with a total capacity of 305,804 deadweight tons. The company was incorporated in 2021 and is based in Athens, Greece.
How the Company Makes MoneyImperial Petroleum, Inc. makes money by providing marine transportation services to oil and gas companies, refineries, and other industrial entities that require the movement of liquid cargoes. The company earns revenue primarily through the chartering of its vessels, which can be contracted on a time charter or spot charter basis. Time charters involve leasing vessels for a fixed period, providing steady and predictable income, while spot charters are typically shorter-term agreements that allow the company to capitalize on fluctuating market rates. Additionally, IMPP may engage in strategic partnerships with other shipping companies or stakeholders in the oil and gas industry to optimize fleet utilization and expand market reach. Factors such as global oil demand, fuel prices, and regulatory changes in maritime shipping can significantly influence the company's earnings.

Imperial Petroleum Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Any
Any
Total Charter Days For Fleet
Total Charter Days For Fleet
Measures the total days vessels are under charter, providing insight into contracted revenue stability and fleet demand.
Chart InsightsImperial Petroleum's total charter days have surged in 2025, driven by a 56% fleet expansion with seven new dry bulk ships. Despite operating in a weak seasonal period, the company achieved a notable increase in profitability and maintained a strong liquidity position. However, challenges persist with a significant revenue decline compared to the previous year, influenced by lower market rates and geopolitical uncertainties. The company's debt-free status and favorable market rates for vessels position it well for future growth, although market valuation remains below its net asset value per share.
Data provided by:The Fly

Imperial Petroleum Earnings Call Summary

Earnings Call Date:Sep 05, 2025
(Q2-2025)
|
% Change Since: |
Next Earnings Date:Feb 18, 2026
Earnings Call Sentiment Neutral
Imperial Petroleum demonstrated strong operational and financial performance, marked by significant fleet expansion, increased profitability, and strong liquidity. However, the company faced challenges with a notable decline in revenue compared to the previous year and market uncertainties. Despite these challenges, the current favorable market rates and a debt-free balance sheet position the company well for future growth.
Q2-2025 Updates
Positive Updates
Fleet Expansion
Imperial Petroleum expanded its fleet by 56% with the delivery of seven dry bulk ships, reaching a total of 19 non-Chinese-built vessels.
Increased Profitability
The company generated a profit of $12.8 million in Q2 2025, an increase of 13% against Q1 2025, corresponding to an earnings per share of $0.36.
Strong Liquidity Position
Imperial Petroleum maintains a strong liquidity position with $212.2 million in cash and cash equivalents.
Debt-Free Balance Sheet
The company continues to operate with a debt-free balance sheet, enhancing its financial stability.
Favorable Market Rates
Market rates for both tankers and bulkers are currently favorable, with Supramax vessel earnings about 30% higher and product tankers about 15% higher than the ten-year average.
Negative Updates
Decline in Revenue
Q2 2025 revenues came in at $36.3 million, marking a $22.8 million decline compared to the same period in 2024 due to lower market rates.
Lower Daily Fleet Time Charter Equivalent
The daily fleet time charter equivalent was about $20,700 in Q2 2025, significantly lower than the $35,200 in Q2 2024.
Market Challenges
Geopolitical events, such as the brief Israel-Iran War, and trade policy risks continue to pose challenges, affecting market sentiment and causing rate volatility.
Company Guidance
In the Q2 and six months 2025 financial results call for Imperial Petroleum Inc., the company reported substantial growth and strong financial performance. During the quarter, the company expanded its fleet by 56% with the addition of seven dry bulk ships, increasing its total fleet to 19 vessels and boosting the fleet book value by 55% to approximately $350 million. Despite the recent fleet expansion and operating in a traditionally weak seasonal period, Imperial Petroleum Inc. achieved a net profit of $12.8 million, equating to an earnings per share of $0.36. The company's liquidity remained robust, with $212.2 million in cash and cash equivalents at the end of the first half of 2025. The company also reported a 13% increase in profitability compared to Q1 2025, supported by a 10% increase in tanker time charter coverage, which improved the net revenue margin. Imperial Petroleum Inc. continues to operate debt-free and has generated an operating cash flow of $42 million for the first half of 2025. Despite these strong financial metrics, the company noted that its net asset value per share, estimated at $13.5, is significantly higher than its current market price, suggesting that its market valuation does not fully reflect its financial and operational strength.

Imperial Petroleum Financial Statement Overview

Summary
Strong profitability and a very conservative balance sheet (minimal leverage) support the score. Offsetting factors are softer revenue/margin trends versus 2023 and volatile free cash flow (notably weak in 2024 and negative in 2022), indicating less stable cash conversion.
Income Statement
74
Positive
Profitability is strong in recent periods, with TTM (Trailing-Twelve-Months) net margin around 28.6% and solid operating profitability (EBIT margin ~30.5%). However, results have softened versus prior years: revenue is down from 2023 to 2024 and TTM revenue is below 2024, and margins have compressed from 2023 highs. The multi-year trend shows a sharp turnaround from losses in 2020–2021 to robust profitability since 2022, but near-term growth is less consistent.
Balance Sheet
88
Very Positive
The balance sheet is very conservative: debt is minimal in 2024 and TTM (Trailing-Twelve-Months), with an extremely low debt-to-equity ratio, and equity represents the vast majority of the capital base. Returns on equity remain positive and healthy (about 8.9% TTM), though below the 2023 peak and slightly below 2024 levels, suggesting profitability is normalizing. Overall financial risk from leverage appears low.
Cash Flow
67
Positive
Cash generation is strong on an operating basis, with TTM (Trailing-Twelve-Months) operating cash flow comfortably exceeding net income (coverage ~3.86x) and free cash flow closely tracking net income (about 0.97x). The key weakness is volatility: 2024 free cash flow was very low relative to earnings, 2022 was materially negative, and TTM free cash flow growth is down year-over-year. This points to uneven cash conversion and/or fluctuating reinvestment needs.
BreakdownTTMDec 2024Dec 2023Dec 2022Dec 2021Dec 2020
Income Statement
Total Revenue136.07M147.48M183.73M97.02M17.36M20.30M
Gross Profit41.54M50.40M73.37M32.64M-2.34M367.66K
EBITDA64.28M67.55M88.58M43.41M5.18M8.25M
Net Income38.93M50.16M71.13M29.51M-3.64M-394.00K
Balance Sheet
Total Assets476.35M449.51M376.83M366.58M128.47M138.12M
Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments99.32M206.73M124.03M118.90M3.39M6.45M
Total Debt19.26K78.76K0.0069.96M27.84M0.00
Total Liabilities17.36M28.84M14.53M84.17M31.72M4.06M
Stockholders Equity458.98M420.67M362.31M282.41M96.75M134.06M
Cash Flow
Free Cash Flow65.23M3.02M51.39M-77.78M5.10M8.14M
Operating Cash Flow67.10M77.70M79.53M40.90M5.24M8.87M
Investing Cash Flow-66.59M-106.65M12.29M-186.68M-142.60K-728.00K
Financing Cash Flow-169.88M4.81M-57.40M196.95M-6.37M-9.33M

Imperial Petroleum Technical Analysis

Technical Analysis Sentiment
Negative
Last Price3.53
Price Trends
50DMA
4.22
Negative
100DMA
4.61
Negative
200DMA
3.80
Negative
Market Momentum
MACD
-0.18
Negative
RSI
38.91
Neutral
STOCH
42.24
Neutral
Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in stock analysis to make informed investment decisions. For IMPP, the sentiment is Negative. The current price of 3.53 is below the 20-day moving average (MA) of 3.68, below the 50-day MA of 4.22, and below the 200-day MA of 3.80, indicating a bearish trend. The MACD of -0.18 indicates Negative momentum. The RSI at 38.91 is Neutral, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 42.24 is Neutral, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Negative sentiment for IMPP.

Imperial Petroleum Peers Comparison

Overall Rating
UnderperformOutperform
Sector (65)
Financial Indicators
Name
Overall Rating
Market Cap
P/E Ratio
ROE
Dividend Yield
Revenue Growth
EPS Growth
72
Outperform
$157.61M3.308.80%-9.98%-19.48%
65
Neutral
$15.17B7.614.09%5.20%3.87%-62.32%
52
Neutral
$203.19M-7.26-6.90%-9.46%-144.89%
51
Neutral
$137.90M-635.48-0.19%13.52%-2.23%-104.00%
50
Neutral
$191.66M-2.21-21.91%-1.58%-271.90%
41
Neutral
$105.26M-5.88-31.43%-15.13%17.34%
* Energy Sector Average
Performance Comparison
Ticker
Company Name
Price
Change
% Change
IMPP
Imperial Petroleum
3.53
0.62
21.31%
EPM
Evolution Petroleum
3.94
-0.81
-17.04%
GTE
Gran Tierra Energy
5.43
-0.16
-2.86%
AMPY
Amplify Energy
5.02
-0.20
-3.83%
EP
Empire Petroleum
3.02
-2.86
-48.64%

Imperial Petroleum Corporate Events

Imperial Petroleum to Add Four Vessels in 2026 Fleet Expansion Deal
Dec 19, 2025

On December 19, 2025, Imperial Petroleum Inc. announced it had entered into agreements to acquire a 2010 South Korean-built product tanker of 50,000 dwt for $20.65 million and three Japanese-built handysize drybulk carriers built in 2015 and 2016 with a total capacity of about 105,000 dwt for $57.26 million, from entities affiliated with Brave Maritime Corp Inc. The related-party transactions, linked to members of the Vafias family, were approved by the company’s independent directors after obtaining independent vessel valuations, with deliveries expected between the second and third quarters of 2026 and an option to defer payment for one year after each agreement date without interest; upon delivery, and absent further fleet changes, Imperial Petroleum’s fleet will rise to 26 vessels totaling roughly 1.55 million dwt, marking a notable expansion of its operational capacity and earnings potential in both the product tanker and drybulk segments.

The most recent analyst rating on (IMPP) stock is a Buy with a $6.00 price target. To see the full list of analyst forecasts on Imperial Petroleum stock, see the IMPP Stock Forecast page.

Imperial Petroleum Reports Strong Q3 2025 Results Amid Fleet Expansion
Dec 12, 2025

Imperial Petroleum Inc. announced its unaudited financial and operating results for the third quarter and nine months ended September 30, 2025. The company reported a significant increase in revenue and operating income, attributed to the expansion of its dry bulk fleet and improved market rates. The integration of seven dry bulk vessels led to a 36.1% increase in fleet calendar days, and operational utilization improved to 88.7% in Q3 2025. The company also raised $60 million through a registered direct equity offering to fund further fleet expansion.

The most recent analyst rating on (IMPP) stock is a Buy with a $6.00 price target. To see the full list of analyst forecasts on Imperial Petroleum stock, see the IMPP Stock Forecast page.

Imperial Petroleum Secures $60 Million in Direct Offering
Dec 1, 2025

On November 28, 2025, Imperial Petroleum Inc. announced a securities purchase agreement with institutional investors for a registered direct offering of approximately $60 million. The offering involves the sale of 9,523,900 shares of common stock and accompanying warrants, with the proceeds intended for working capital and general corporate purposes. The offering is expected to close around December 1, 2025, subject to customary conditions, and is being managed by Maxim Group LLC as the sole placement agent.

The most recent analyst rating on (IMPP) stock is a Buy with a $6.00 price target. To see the full list of analyst forecasts on Imperial Petroleum stock, see the IMPP Stock Forecast page.

Glossary
BuyA stock rated as a "Buy" is expected to perform better than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock is likely to deliver higher returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
HoldA stock rated as a "Hold" is expected to perform in line with the overall market or a specific benchmark. This rating indicates that the stock is neither particularly compelling nor unfavorable for investment. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
SellA stock rated as a "Sell" is expected to perform worse than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock may deliver lower returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.

Disclaimer

This AI Analyst Stock Report is automatically generated by our AI systems using advanced algorithms and publicly available financial, technical, and market data. While the information provided aims to be accurate and insightful, it is intended for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. Any content created by an AI (Artificial Intelligence) system may contain inaccuracies and/or contain errors. Investing in stocks carries inherent risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results. This report does not account for your personal financial circumstances, objectives, or risk tolerance. Always conduct your own research or consult with a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. The analysis and recommendations provided are based on historical and current data and may not fully reflect future market conditions or unexpected developments. Neither the creators of this report nor its affiliated entities guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information presented. Use this report at your own discretion and risk.Date of analysis: Jan 13, 2026