Teekay (NYSE:TK) said its tanker business is on track for record fourth-quarter and full-year results after spot rates surged, even as the company continues to sell older ships and order new vessels.
Teekay Tankers reported third-quarter 2026 net income of $195 million, or $5.60 per share, and adjusted net income of $176 million, or $5.04 per share, President and CEO Kenneth Hvid said on the earnings call. Adjusted net income for the first nine months was nearly $500 million, in line with the company’s record full-year result in 2023.
The tanker business generated approximately $179 million in free cash flow from operations in the quarter and more than $520 million in the first nine months. It ended the quarter with more than $1.4 billion in cash and no debt, Hvid said.
Fourth-quarter bookings point to record results
Teekay Tankers’ third-quarter spot rates averaged $106,400 per day for its Suezmax fleet and $67,600 per day for its Aframax and LR2 fleet. Fourth-quarter bookings have risen substantially: The company had secured rates of $272,000 per day for Suezmax vessels and $208,300 per day for Aframax and LR2 vessels, with approximately 63% and 53% of their respective spot days booked.
Hvid said the weighted average fourth-quarter rate booked to date was $236,000 per day, more than 30 times the company’s free cash flow breakeven level. He attributed the market’s strength to factors including elevated refinery margins, resilient oil demand, low refined-product inventories and geopolitical disruptions that have increased transportation requirements.
Freight rates have moderated from their September and October highs as refinery margins declined and supply chains adjusted, Hvid said, though they remain historically high. He expects seasonal factors, trade inefficiencies and geopolitical uncertainty to continue supporting the market, potentially at less extreme levels.
Fleet renewal and potential vessel sales
Since the start of 2026, Teekay Tankers has sold four vessels for $211 million, recording combined gains of $78 million, Hvid said. It has acquired or committed to 10 modern vessels for approximately $716 million, including six newbuildings scheduled for delivery from mid-2027 through 2030.
The latest orders include two Chinese-built LR2 vessels and two Korean-built Suezmax tankers for delivery in 2030, with options for two additional Suezmaxes. The company also acquired a 2020-built MR tanker for approximately $49 million.
Asked how the company balances selling older ships against earning cash from them in the strong spot market, Hvid said management weighs the potential proceeds from additional voyages against the possibility of a lower sale price later. He said the company has no current plans to trade its ships beyond age 20 and would likely sell more vessels over the coming 12 months.
Hvid described the MR purchase as a way to rebuild operating capabilities and preserve the option to expand in product tankers. Aframax and Suezmax vessels remain core to the business, he said, and the company has no stated plans to build a large MR position.
Dividend timing and market outlook
Teekay Tankers declared its regular third-quarter dividend of $0.25 per share. Its board expects to consider a special dividend alongside fourth-quarter and full-year results expected in February 2027, rather than with first-quarter results in May, when annual special dividends have typically been announced.
Hvid said the change moves the consideration forward to coincide with the full-year results and does not signal an additional special dividend beyond the company’s past practice.
Looking further ahead, Hvid said the midsized tanker order book is equivalent to roughly 25% of the fleet, while 22% of the fleet is already more than 20 years old and another 20% will reach that age by 2030. The eventual removal of older vessels could help offset new deliveries, he said.
Christian Waldegrave, Teekay’s director of research, said a resolution of the U.S.-Iran conflict could reduce tanker demand created by inefficient routes but also allow more oil to flow from the Middle East. He said the need to replenish depleted inventories could support demand, although he had not yet seen lower oil prices translate into substantial stock building.
About Teekay (NYSE:TK)
Teekay is an international marine transportation company with a focus on shipping energy products. Its activities include ownership and operation of crude oil and refined petroleum product tankers, primarily through its subsidiary Teekay Tankers. Teekay Tankers serves oil companies, traders and other energy-sector customers, transporting cargoes on routes around the world. The company’s fleet includes vessels designed to carry crude oil and petroleum products. Founded in 1973, Teekay has developed from a tanker operator into a marine transportation group with interests in energy shipping.
