Nikolaus Schues and his F Laeisz have emerged as a major investor in New York-listed Diana Shipping just months after turning a profit from its last move on shipping stocks.
The German shipowner told the US Securities and Exchange Commission that he and his private shipping companies now hold nearly 6.31m shares in Athens-based Diana.
This gives him a 5% stake, which could be the second-largest stake not held by insiders. The shares are worth a total of $14.1m at the latest price.
Schues, who could not be immediately reached for comment for this story, appears to be taking advantage of a relatively low price for Diana’s shares.
The Diana investment is not Schues’ first foray into investing in public shipping companies.
In July, F Laeisz was among the major shareholders in Gram Car Carriers that supported the company’s takeover by MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company.
Diana’s stock was priced at $2.23 per share at the time of writing, near the low of $2.20 set in September, a level the shares had not reached since early 2021.
SEC records show that F Laeisz disclosed the holding last week.
Celebrating its 200th anniversary this year, Laeisz is a family-run shipowner and manager with a fleet of car carriers, LPG and ammonia carriers, research ships and river cruise vessels.
The SEC filing revealed that the Hamburg company is 48% owned by KG Reederei N Schues, which in turn is 68.8% owned by Schues.
Diana owns a fleet of 38 bulkers.
In its last annual report, which was filed in April, Diana listed chief executive Semiramis Paliou as its largest shareholder, with a 19.8% stake.
President Anastasios Margaronis owned 10.1% at the time and other insiders controlled 10.3%.
Shipowner Sea Trade Holdings controlled 16% at the time.
