Diana Shipping says it has reached a preliminary deal in negotiations over interest payments and waiving covenants with one of its main lenders.

But a formal deal will require all other lenders to agree.

The agreement comes roughly a month after TradeWinds reported that the New York-listed shipowner was taking a hardline stance with banks.

Diana said Friday it has reached an “agreement in principle with certain lenders, including its largest lender,” for terms that include deferring of amortisation payments and amending financial covenants.

According to Diana’s annual report, its largest lender is BNP Paribas. The French bank lent Diana $165m last year to refinance a revolving credit facility. BNP also provided Diana with a $55m loan in 2014 for the purchase of two capesize vessels.

Diana said the agreement will require reaching similar deferral and covenant terms with its other lenders.

To support its negotiations with lenders, Diana said it is currently deferring certain amortisation payments under its credit facilities.

The company said that, while negotiations are ongoing, it has not obtained formal waivers from any lender regarding payment deferrals or amendments to financial covenants.

A representative of Diana Shipping declined to comment.

'Not out of woods'

Deutsche Bank analyst Amit Mehrotra says that if Diana can strike an agreement with all its lenders to defer amortisation payments and waive covenants, it could defer some $78m in immediate cash calls to creditors.

Deutsche Bank says Diana still has to make $31m in interest payments through this year and another $47m next year.

That would be a "significant positive" Mehrotra says as Diana will not have issue new equity capital.

But the company is "not out of the woods" as the larger issue of dry bulk supply and demand still weigh on the company, whose shares were down almost 5% to $2.29 at presstime.

Diana still has to "endure a persistently weak dry bulk market- but its cash position pro forma for this agreement would be significantly enhanced and it would effectively remove the overhang related to near-term need for new equity financing," Mehrotra said in the note.

Deutsche Bank moved Diana's rating from "sell" to "hold."