Star Bulk Carriers (NASDAQ:SBLK) Shares Gap Up Following Dividend Announcement

Star Bulk Carriers Corp. (NASDAQ:SBLK)’s stock price gapped up before the market opened on Thursday following a dividend announcement from the company. The stock had previously closed at $26.69, but opened at $27.98. Star Bulk Carriers shares last traded at $27.5830, with a volume of 585,033 shares traded.

The newly announced dividend which will be paid on Monday, June 22nd. Stockholders of record on Friday, June 12th will be issued a dividend of $0.50 per share. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 7.3%. This is an increase from Star Bulk Carriers’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.37. The ex-dividend date is Friday, June 12th. Star Bulk Carriers’s dividend payout ratio is currently 202.74%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms recently commented on SBLK. Jefferies Financial Group assumed coverage on shares of Star Bulk Carriers in a research note on Friday, April 24th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $29.00 target price for the company. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Star Bulk Carriers from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 22nd. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Star Bulk Carriers from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Saturday, April 18th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Star Bulk Carriers in a research note on Friday, March 27th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has given a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $29.00.

Star Bulk Carriers Price Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34, a current ratio of 1.78 and a quick ratio of 1.65. The stock has a market cap of $3.11 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.69 and a beta of 0.71. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $24.40 and a 200 day moving average of $22.18.

Star Bulk Carriers (NASDAQ:SBLK) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 25th. The shipping company reported $0.62 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.52 by $0.10. Star Bulk Carriers had a net margin of 8.07% and a return on equity of 3.89%. The company had revenue of $230.79 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $250.51 million. On average, analysts expect that Star Bulk Carriers Corp. will post 3.85 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Trending Headlines about Star Bulk Carriers

Here are the key news stories impacting Star Bulk Carriers this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Star Bulk reported first-quarter net profit of $58.5 million and beat earnings and revenue expectations, signaling stronger-than-expected performance in the dry bulk shipping market. Star Bulk Carriers (SBLK) Beats Q1 Earnings and Revenue Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.50 per share, up 35.1% from the prior $0.37 payout, which reinforces the stock’s income appeal and supports the bullish case for shareholders. Star Bulk Carriers Corp. Reports Net Profit of $58.5 Million for the First Quarter of 2026, and Declares Quarterly Dividend of $0.50 Per Share
• Neutral Sentiment: The COO sold 33,103 shares in a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 transaction, which may raise some investor caution but does not necessarily signal a change in outlook. Star Bulk Carriers (NASDAQ:SBLK) COO Sells Stock
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts and valuation commentary note that SBLK has already had a strong run this year, so some traders may be weighing whether recent gains have already priced in the better results.

Insider Buying and Selling at Star Bulk Carriers

In related news, COO Nikolaos Reskos sold 33,103 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, May 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $26.28, for a total transaction of $869,946.84. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer owned 407,775 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $10,716,327. This trade represents a 7.51% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold a total of 43,189 shares of company stock valued at $1,122,645 in the last quarter. 0.90% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Star Bulk Carriers

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in SBLK. Royal Bank of Canada raised its stake in shares of Star Bulk Carriers by 94.3% during the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 117,275 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $1,825,000 after buying an additional 56,930 shares during the last quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC boosted its stake in shares of Star Bulk Carriers by 59.7% in the first quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 1,298,436 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $20,204,000 after buying an additional 485,436 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in Star Bulk Carriers by 2.3% during the second quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 122,115 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $2,106,000 after acquiring an additional 2,748 shares during the period. JPMorgan Chase & Co. grew its holdings in Star Bulk Carriers by 673.1% during the second quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 49,471 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $853,000 after acquiring an additional 43,072 shares during the period. Finally, Norges Bank purchased a new position in Star Bulk Carriers during the second quarter valued at approximately $1,444,000. 33.91% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Star Bulk Carriers

Star Bulk Carriers Corp is a global shipping company engaged in the ocean transport of dry bulk commodities. The company owns and operates a diversified fleet of bulk carriers, including Handymax, Supramax, Panamax and Capesize vessels. Its ships are designed to carry a broad range of cargoes, such as iron ore, coal, grain, bauxite and phosphate, catering to industrial and agricultural customers worldwide.

The company’s vessels operate on major trade routes across the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans, connecting producers and consumers in Asia, Europe, North and South America.