Oslo-listed Wilson has made its first foray into the 5,000-dwt bulker segment while selling an aged vessel.
The Bergen-based dry bulk player agreed to acquire the 5,000-dwt Lauren C (built 2007) and Nicole C (built 2008) from Carisbrooke Shipping with equity and debt financing.
Those open-hatch, single-decker units are the company’s first vessels of this size. Chief financial officer Stig Vangen said Wilson would consider more investments in this segment going forward.
Separately, the company sold the 6,300-dwt Wilson Reef (built 1975) to an undisclosed buyer at what it described as “slightly above book value”.
The ship is understood to remain in trading.
No financial details are given for the recent deals. VesselsValue estimated the market values of Lauren C at $3.63m, Nicole C at $3.95m and Winson Reef at $990,000.
Focusing on European shortsea trade, Wilson operates a fleet of over 100 bulkers between 1,500 dwt and 8,500 dwt.
The company reported net profits of €8.48m ($9.4m) in the first nine months of 2019, compared with net profits of €11.9m in the same period of last year.
