Fredriksen takes 10% stake in Star Bulk Carriers

Shortly after his exit from one of Europe’s largest dry bulk owners, Golden Ocean, shipping tycoon John Fredriksen has flagged a fresh play in the bulkers arena at Greece-based giant Star Bulk Carriers.

A filing to the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) shows that Fredriksen-affiliated companies own 11.8m shares in the Nasdaq-listed Star Bulk, corresponding to a 10.7% ownership stake.

Earlier in March, Fredriksen sold his interests in the owner of more than 90 bulkers, Golden Ocean, to CMB.TECH, the shipowning vehicle controlled by the Saverys family, for close to $1.2bn, suggesting a retreat from the sector.

The move on Star Bulk shares valued at close to $197m in today’s market has been divulged as a passive investment in the form of a 13G filing.

Star Bulk is the largest public dry bulk owner, controlling a fleet of over 150 bulkers from newcastlemax to supramax classes.

The Petros Pappas-led company logged a fourth-quarter 2024 net profit of $42.4m, or $0.36 per share, and directed some of its cash towards a dividend of $0.09 per share payable on or about March 18 to all shareholders of record as of March 4, while the remaining portion has been used to repurchase shares.