DORIAN LPG LTD. (LPG) FY 2024 MD&A
This page reproduces the company's own Item 7 MD&A text from the linked SEC filing. It is filer text, not grepcent analysis, scoring, or investment advice.
ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS.
You should read the following discussion of our financial condition and results of operations in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements and related notes included herein. Among other things, those financial statements include more detailed information regarding the basis of presentation for the following information. The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP and are presented in U.S. dollars unless otherwise indicated. The following discussion contains forward‑looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. As a result of many factors, such as those set forth under "Item 1A—Risk Factors," "Forward-Looking Statements" and elsewhere in this report, our actual results may differ materially from those anticipated in these forward‑looking statements.
Overview
We are a Marshall Islands corporation, headquartered in the United States, focused on owning and operating VLGCs. Our fleet currently consists of twenty-five VLGCs, including one Dual-fuel ECO VLGC, nineteen ECO VLGCs, one modern VLGC, three time chartered-in Dual-fuel ECO Panamax design VLGCs, and one time chartered-in ECO VLGC.
Our Dual-fuel ECO VLGC was delivered to us in March 2023. Our nineteen ECO VLGCs, which incorporate fuel efficiency and emission-reducing technologies and certain custom features, were acquired by us for an aggregate purchase price of $1.4 billion and delivered to us between July 2014 and February 2016, seventeen of which were delivered during calendar year 2015 or later and fourteen, of which, are scrubber-equipped. Three of our four time chartered-in VLGCs are dual-fuel Panamax design and one of the time chartered-in VLGCs is scrubber-equipped.
On April 1, 2015, Dorian and MOL Energia began operations of the Helios Pool, which entered into pool participation agreements for the purpose of establishing and operating, as charterer, under a variable rate time charter to be entered into with owners or disponent owners of VLGCs, a commercial pool of VLGCs whereby revenues and expenses are shared. The vessels entered into the Helios Pool may operate either in the spot market, pursuant to COAs or on time charters of two years' duration or less (unless agreed otherwise). As of May 23, 2024, twenty-four of our twenty-five VLGCs, including the four time chartered-in vessels, were deployed in the Helios Pool.
Our customers, either directly or through the Helios Pool, include or have included global energy companies such as Exxon Mobil Corp., Chevron Corp., China International United Petroleum & Chemicals Co., Ltd., Royal Dutch Shell plc, Equinor ASA, Total S.A., and Sunoco LP, commodity traders such as Glencore plc, Itochu Corporation, Bayegan Group, and the Vitol Group and importers such as E1 Corp., Indian Oil Corporation, SK Gas Co. Ltd., and Astomos Energy Corporation, or subsidiaries of the foregoing. For the year ended March 31, 2024, the Helios Pool accounted for 95% of our total revenues. No other individual charterer accounted for more than 10%. Within the Helios Pool, one charterer represented more than 10% of net pool revenues—related party. For the year ended March 31, 2023, the Helios Pool accounted for 94% of our total revenues. No other individual charterer accounted for more than 10%. Within the Helios Pool, two charterers represented more than 10% of net pool revenues—related party. For the year ended March 31, 2022, the Helios Pool accounted for 90% of our total revenues. No other individual charterer accounted for more than 10%. Within the Helios Pool, no charterers represented more than 10% of net pool revenues—related party. See “Item 1A. Risk Factors—We operate exclusively in the LPG shipping industry. Due to the general lack of industry diversification, adverse developments in the LPG shipping industry may adversely affect our business, financial condition and operating results” and “Item 1A. Risk Factors—We expect to be dependent on a limited number of customers for a material part of our revenues, and failure of such customers to meet their obligations could cause us to suffer losses or negatively impact our results of operations and cash flows.”
We continue to pursue a balanced chartering strategy by employing our vessels on a mix of multi-year time charters, some of which may include a profit-sharing component, shorter-term time charters, spot market voyages and COAs. One of our vessels is currently on a fixed time charter outside of the Helios Pool. See “Item 1. Business—Our Fleet” above for more information.
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Recent Developments
Executive Officer Promotions and Compensation Matters
On April 24, 2024, two of our current executives were promoted to increased positions of responsibility. The N&CG Committee established the following executive positions: Head of Energy Transition and Chief Operating Officer. John Lycouris, Chief Executive Officer of Dorian LPG (USA) LLC and director of the Board of Directors, was promoted to the position of Head of Energy Transition, and Alexander C. Hadjipateras, Senior Executive Vice President of Dorian LPG (USA) LLC and Managing Director of Dorian LPG Management Corp. (Athens), was promoted to Chief Operating Officer.
The Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors has also set the vesting condition for the last tranche of the shares of restricted stock granted in July 2023 to each of Theodore Young, John Lycouris and John Hadjipateras, as named executive officers of the Company. The Compensation Committee determined to apply the condition that the shares eligible to vest on August 5, 2025, with respect to Messrs. J. Hadjipateras and Young, and August 5, 2024, with respect to Mr. Lycouris (the “Scheduled Vesting Date”) shall vest when and only if the volume weighted average price of the Company’s common shares over any consecutive 15-day period prior to the final business day of the sixth fiscal quarter following the grant date of the vesting shares, as reported on Bloomberg (or on such other internationally recognized financial information provider), equals or exceeds, 95% of the book value of a Company share, which shall be determined (in good faith by the management of the Company) on June 30, 2024.
Additional information relating to compensation paid to each of the Company’s named executive officers in the fiscal year ended March 31, 2024 and to be paid in the fiscal year ended March 31, 2025 will be included in the Company’s DEF14A Proxy Statement to be filed with the Commission in connection with the Company’s 2024 annual meeting of shareholders.
Dividend
On April 25, 2024, we announced that our Board of Directors has declared an irregular cash dividend of $1.00 per share of the Company’s common stock totaling $40.6 million. The dividend is payable on or about May 30, 2024 to all shareholders of record as of the close of business on May 8, 2024.
Vessel Deployment—Spot Voyages, Time Charters, COAs, and Pooling Arrangements
We seek to employ our vessels in a manner that maximizes fleet utilization and earnings upside through our chartering strategy in line with our goal of maximizing shareholder value and returning capital to shareholders when appropriate, taking into account fluctuations in freight rates in the market and our own views on the direction of those rates in the future. As of May 23, 2024, twenty-four of our twenty-five VLGCs, including the four time chartered-in vessels, were employed in the Helios Pool, which includes time charters with a term of less than two years unless otherwise agreed.
A spot market voyage charter is generally a contract to carry a specific cargo from a load port to a discharge port for an agreed upon freight per ton of cargo or a specified total amount. Under spot market voyage charters, we pay voyage expenses such as port and fuel costs. A time charter is generally a contract to charter a vessel for a fixed period of time at a set daily or monthly rate. Under time charters, the charterer pays voyage expenses such as port and fuel costs. Vessels operating on time charters provide more predictable cash flows, but can yield lower profit margins than vessels operating in the spot market during periods characterized by favorable market conditions. Vessels operating in the spot market generate revenues that are less predictable but may enable us to capture increased profit margins during periods of improvements in the freight market although we are exposed to the risk of a decline in the freight market and lower utilization. Pools generally consist of a number of vessels which may be owned by a number of different ship owners which operate as a single marketing entity in an effort to produce freight efficiencies. Pools typically employ experienced commercial charterers and operators who have close working relationships with customers and brokers while technical management is typically the responsibility of each ship owner. Under pool arrangements, vessels typically enter the pool under a time charter agreement whereby the cost of bunkers and port expenses are borne by the charterer (i.e., the pool) and operating costs, including crews, maintenance and insurance are typically paid by the owner of the vessel. Pools, in
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return, typically negotiate charters with customers primarily in the spot market. Since the members of a pool typically share in the revenue generated by the entire group of vessels in the pool, and since pools operate primarily in the spot market, including the pool in which we participate, the revenue earned by vessels placed in spot market related pools is subject to the fluctuations of the spot market and the ability of the pool manager to effectively employ its fleet. We believe that vessel pools can provide cost-effective commercial management activities for a group of similar class vessels and potentially result in lower waiting times and higher earnings.
Contracts of Affreightment relate to the carriage of multiple cargoes over the same or several routes at pre-agreed terms, volumes and periods and enables the COA holder to nominate and lift cargoes, without controlling tonnage themselves or having their own vessel in position. COAs are usually based on voyage terms, where all of the vessel's operating, voyage and capital costs are borne by the ship owner.
On April 1, 2015, Dorian and MOL Energia began operation of the Helios Pool, which is a pool of VLGC vessels. We believe that the operation of certain of our VLGCs in this pool allows us to achieve better market coverage and utilization. Vessels entered into the Helios Pool are commercially managed jointly by Dorian LPG (DK) ApS, our wholly-owned subsidiary, and MOL Energia. The members of the Helios Pool share in the net pool revenues generated by the entire group of vessels in the pool, weighted according to certain technical vessel characteristics, and net pool revenues (see Note 2 to our consolidated financial statements included herein) are distributed as variable rate time charter hire to each participant. The vessels entered into the Helios Pool may operate either in the spot market, COAs, or on time charters of two years' duration or less. As of May 23, 2024, the Helios Pool operated thirty VLGCs, including twenty-four vessels from our fleet, five MOL Energia vessels and one time chartered-in vessel.
For further description of our business, please see “Item 1. Business” above.
Important Financial and Operational Terms and Concepts
We use a variety of financial and operational terms and concepts in the evaluation of our business and operations including the following:
Vessel Revenues. Our revenues are driven primarily by the number of vessels in our fleet, the number of days during which our vessels operate and the daily rates that our vessels earn under our charters, which, in turn, are affected by a number of factors, including levels of demand and supply in the LPG shipping industry; the age, condition and specifications of our vessels; the duration of our charters; the timing of when any profit-sharing arrangements are earned; the amount of time that we spend positioning our vessels; the availability of our vessels, which is related to the amount of time that our vessels spend in drydock undergoing repairs and the amount of time required to perform necessary maintenance or upgrade work; and other factors affecting rates for LPG vessels.
We generate revenue by providing seaborne transportation services to customers pursuant to three types of contractual relationships:
Pooling Arrangements. As from April 1, 2015, we began operation of the Helios Pool. Net pool revenues—related party for each vessel is determined in accordance with the profit-sharing terms specified within the pool agreement for the Helios Pool. In particular, the pool manager aggregates the revenues and voyage expenses of all of the pool participants and Helios Pool general and administrative expenses and distributes the net earnings to participants based on:
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | pool points (vessel attributes such as cargo carrying capacity, fuel consumption, and speed are taken into consideration); and |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | number of days the vessel was on-hire in the Helios Pool in the period. |
For the years ended March 31, 2024, 2023, and 2022, 95%, 94% and 90% of our revenue, respectively, was generated through the Helios Pool as net pool revenues—related party.
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Voyage Charters. A voyage charter, or spot charter, is a contract for transportation of a specified cargo between two or more designated ports. This type of charter is priced at a current or "spot" market rate, typically on a price per ton of product carried. Under voyage charters, we are responsible for all of the voyage expenses in addition to providing the crewing and other vessel operating services. Revenues for voyage charters are more volatile as they are typically tied to prevailing market rates at the time of the voyage. Our gross revenue under voyage charters is generally higher than under comparable time charters so as to compensate us for our bearing all voyage expenses. As a result, our revenue and voyage expenses may vary significantly depending on our mix of time charters and voyage charters. None of our revenue was generated pursuant to voyage charters from our VLGCs not in the Helios Pool for the years ended March 31, 2024, 2023, and 2022.
Time Charters. A time charter is a contract under which a vessel is chartered for a defined period of time at a fixed daily or monthly rate. Under time charters, we are responsible for providing crewing and other vessel operating services, the cost of which is intended to be covered by the fixed rate, while the customer is responsible for substantially all of the voyage expenses, including bunker fuel consumption, port expenses and canal tolls. LPG is frequently transported under a time charter arrangement, with terms ranging from one to seven years. In addition, we may also have profit-sharing arrangements with some of our customers that provide for additional payments above a floor monthly rate (usually up to an agreed ceiling) based on the actual, average daily rate quoted by the Baltic Exchange for VLGCs on the benchmark Ras Tanura‑Chiba route over an agreed time period converted to a time charter equivalent (“TCE”) monthly rate. For the years ended March 31, 2024, 2023, and 2022, approximately 4.6%, 5,8% and 8.2%, respectively, of our revenue was generated pursuant to time charters from our VLGCs not in the Helios Pool.
Other Revenues, net. Other revenues, net represent income from charterers, including the Helios Pool, relating to reimbursement of expenses such as costs for security guards and war risk insurance for voyages operating in high-risk areas. For the years ended March 31, 2024, 2023, and 2022, approximately 0.3%, 0.6% and 2.0%, respectively, of our revenue was generated pursuant to other revenues, net.
Of these revenue streams, revenue generated from voyage charter agreements is further described in our revenue recognition policy as described in Note 2 to our consolidated financial statements. Revenue generated from pools and time charters is accounted for as revenue earned under recently adopted accounting guidance to update the requirements of financial accounting and reporting for lessees and lessors as described in Note 2 to our consolidated financial statements.
Calendar Days. We define calendar days as the total number of days in a period during which each vessel in our fleet was owned or operated pursuant to a bareboat charter. Calendar days are an indicator of the size of the fleet over a period and affect both the amount of revenues and the amount of expenses that are recorded during that period.
Time Chartered-in Days. We define time chartered-in days as the aggregate number of days in a period during which we time chartered-in vessels from third parties. Time chartered-in days are an indicator of the size of the fleet over a period and affect both the amount of revenues and the amount of charter hire expenses that are recorded during that period.
Available Days. We define available days as the sum of calendar days and time chartered-in days (collectively representing our commercially managed vessels) less aggregate off hire days associated with major repairs and scheduled maintenance, which include drydockings, vessel upgrades or special or intermediate surveys. We use available days to measure the aggregate number of days in a period that our vessels should be capable of generating revenues.
Operating Days. We define operating days as available days less the aggregate number of days that the commercially managed vessels in our fleet are off‑hire for any reason other than major repairs and scheduled maintenance. We use operating days to measure the number of days in a period that our operating vessels are on hire.
Drydocking. We must periodically drydock each of our vessels for any major repairs and maintenance and for inspection of the underwater parts of the vessel that cannot be performed while the vessels are operating and for any modifications to comply with industry certification or governmental requirements. The classification societies provide guidelines applicable to LPG vessels relating to extended intervals for drydocking. Generally, we are required to drydock
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a vessel under 15 years of age once every five years unless an extension of the drydocking to seven and one-half years is granted by the classification society and the vessel is not older than 20 years of age. We capitalize costs directly associated with the drydockings that extend the life of the vessel and amortize these costs on a straight-line basis over the period through the date the next survey is scheduled to become due under the "Deferral" method permitted under U.S. GAAP. Costs incurred during the drydocking period which relate to routine repairs and maintenance are expensed as incurred. The number of drydockings undertaken in a given period and the nature of the work performed determine the level of drydocking expenditures.
Fleet Utilization. We calculate fleet utilization by dividing the number of operating days during a period by the number of available days during that period. An increase in non‑scheduled off‑hire days, including waiting time, would reduce our operating days, and therefore, our fleet utilization. We use fleet utilization to measure our ability to efficiently find suitable employment for our vessels.
Time Charter Equivalent Rate. TCE rate is a measure of the average daily revenue performance of a vessel. TCE rate is a shipping industry performance measure used primarily to compare period‑to‑period changes in a shipping company’s performance despite changes in the mix of charter types (such as time charters, voyage charters) under which the vessels may be employed between the periods. Our method of calculating TCE rate is to divide revenue net of voyage expenses by operating days for the relevant time period.
Voyage Expenses. Voyage expenses are all expenses unique to a particular voyage, including bunker fuel consumption, port expenses, canal fees, charter hire commissions, war risk insurance and security costs. Voyage expenses are typically paid by us under voyage charters and by the charterer under time charters, including our VLGCs chartered to the Helios Pool. Accordingly, we generally only incur voyage expenses for our own account when performing voyage charters or during repositioning voyages between time charters for which no cargo is available or travelling to or from drydocking. We generally bear all voyage expenses under voyage charters and, as such, voyage expenses are generally greater under voyage charters than time charters. As a result, our voyage expenses may vary significantly depending on our mix of time charters and voyage charters.
Charter Hire Expenses. We time charter hire certain vessels from third-party owners or operators for a contracted period and rate in order to charter the vessels to our customers. Charter hire expenses include vessel operating lease expense incurred to charter-in these vessels.
Vessel Operating Expenses. Vessel operating expenses are expenses that are not unique to a specific voyage. Vessel operating expenses are paid by us under each of our charter types. Vessel operating expenses include crew wages and related costs, the costs for lubricants, insurance, expenses relating to repairs and maintenance, the cost of spares and consumable stores, tonnage taxes and other miscellaneous expenses. Our vessel operating expenses will increase with the expansion of our fleet and are subject to change because of higher crew costs, higher insurance premiums, unexpected repair expenses and general inflation. Furthermore, we expect maintenance costs will increase as our vessels age and during periods of drydock.
Daily Vessel Operating Expenses. Daily vessel operating expenses are calculated by dividing vessel operating expenses by calendar days for the relevant time period.
Depreciation and Amortization. We depreciate our vessels on a straight‑line basis using an estimated useful life of 25 years from initial delivery from the shipyard and after considering estimated salvage values.
We amortize the cost of deferred drydocking expenditures on a straight‑line basis over the period through the date the next drydocking/special survey is scheduled to become due.
General and Administrative Expenses. General and administrative expenses principally consist of the costs incurred in the corporate administration of the vessel and non‑vessel owning subsidiaries. We have granted restricted stock awards to certain of our officers, directors and employees that vest over various periods (see Note 12 to our consolidated financial statements included herein). Granting of restricted stock results in an increase in expenses. Stock-based compensation expense for officers, directors and employees is measured at the grant date stock price (or, if a market
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condition is attached to the award, at the estimated fair value of the award on grant date) and is recognized over the vesting period.
Critical Accounting Estimates
We prepare our consolidated financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP, which requires us to make estimates in the application of our accounting policies based on our best assumptions, judgments and opinions. On a regular basis, management reviews the accounting policies, assumptions, estimates and judgments to ensure that our consolidated financial statements are presented fairly and in accordance with U.S. GAAP. However, because future events and their effects cannot be determined with certainty, actual results could differ from our assumptions and estimates, and such differences could be material. Accounting estimates and assumptions discussed in this section are those that we consider to be the most critical to an understanding of our financial statements because they inherently involve significant judgments and uncertainties. For a description of our significant accounting policies, see Note 2 of our consolidated financial statements included herein.
Vessel Depreciation. The cost of our vessels less their estimated residual value is depreciated on a straight‑line basis over the vessels' estimated useful lives. We estimate the useful life of each of our vessels to be 25 years from the date the vessel was originally delivered from the shipyard. Based on the current market and the types of vessels we have in our fleet, the residual values of our vessels are based upon a value of approximately $400 per lightweight ton. An increase in the useful life of our vessels or in their residual value would have the effect of decreasing the annual depreciation charge and extending it into later periods. An increase in the useful life of a vessel may occur as a result of superior vessel maintenance performed, favorable ocean going and weather conditions the vessel is subjected to, superior quality of the shipbuilding or yard, or high freight market rates, which result in owners scrapping the vessels later due to the attractive cash flows. A decrease in the useful life of our vessels or in their residual value would have the effect of increasing the annual depreciation charge and possibly result in an impairment charge. A decrease in the useful life of a vessel may occur as a result of poor vessel maintenance performed, harsh ocean going and weather conditions the vessel is subjected to, or poor quality of the shipbuilding or yard. If regulations place limitations over the ability of a vessel to trade on a worldwide basis, we will adjust the vessel's useful life to end at the date such regulations preclude such vessel's further commercial use.
Impairment of vessels. We review our vessels for impairment when events or circumstances indicate the carrying amount of the vessel may not be recoverable. In addition, we compare independent appraisals to our carrying value for indicators of impairment to our vessels. When such indicators are present, a vessel is tested for recoverability by comparing the estimate of future undiscounted net operating cash flows expected to be generated by the use of the vessel over its remaining useful life and its eventual disposition to its carrying amount. An impairment charge is recognized if the carrying value is in excess of the estimated future undiscounted net operating cash flows. The impairment loss is measured based on the excess of the carrying amount over the fair market value of the asset. The new lower cost basis would result in a lower annual depreciation than before the impairment.
Our estimates of fair market value assume that our vessels are all in good and seaworthy condition without need for repair and if inspected would be certified in class without notations of any kind. Our estimates are based on information available from various industry sources, including:
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | reports by industry analysts and data providers that focus on our industry and related dynamics affecting vessel values; |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | news and industry reports of similar vessel sales; |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | approximate market values for our vessels or similar vessels that we have received from shipbrokers, whether solicited or unsolicited, or that shipbrokers have generally disseminated; |
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | offers that we may have received from potential purchasers of our vessels; and |
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| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| ● | vessel sale prices and values of which we are aware through both formal and informal communications with shipowners, shipbrokers, industry analysts and various other shipping industry participants and observers. |
As we obtain information from various industry and other sources, our estimates of fair market value are inherently uncertain. In addition, vessel values are highly volatile; as such, our estimates may not be indicative of the current or future fair market value of our vessels or prices that we could achieve if we were to sell them.
As of March 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022, independent appraisals of the commercially and technically managed VLGCs in our fleet had no indicators of impairment on any of our VLGCs in accordance with ASC 360 Property, Plant, and Equipment. No impairment charges were recognized for the years ended March 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022.
The amount, if any, and timing of any impairment charges we may recognize in the future will depend upon the then current and expected future charter rates and vessel values, which may differ materially from those used in our estimates as of March 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022.
The table set forth below indicates the carrying value of each commercially and technically managed vessel in our fleet as of March 31, 2024 and 2023 at which times none of the vessels listed in the table below was being held for sale:
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | | | Date of | | | | | | | |||||||
| | | Capacity | | Year | | Acquisition/ | | Purchase Price/ | | Carrying value at | | Carrying value at | ||||
| Vessels | | (Cbm) | | Built | | Delivery | | Original Cost | | March 31, 2024(1) | | March 31, 2023(2) | ||||
| Captain John NP | 82,000 | 2007 | 7/29/2013 | | 64,955,636 | | 34,845,414 | | 36,877,876 | | ||||||
| Comet | 84,000 | 2014 | 7/25/2014 | | 75,276,432 | | 52,533,021 | | 55,569,951 | | ||||||
| Corsair | 84,000 | 2014 | 9/26/2014 | | 80,906,292 | | 56,419,451 | | 59,732,692 | | ||||||
| Corvette | 84,000 | 2015 | 1/2/2015 | | 84,262,500 | | 57,476,184 | | 60,797,725 | | ||||||
| Cougar | | 84,000 | | 2015 | | 6/15/2015 | | | 80,427,640 | | | 55,040,985 | | | 58,141,111 | |
| Concorde | | 84,000 | | 2015 | | 6/24/2015 | | | 81,168,031 | | | 56,973,175 | | | 60,229,695 | |
| Cobra | | 84,000 | | 2015 | | 6/26/2015 | | | 80,467,667 | | | 55,194,014 | | | 58,303,794 | |
| Continental | | 84,000 | | 2015 | | 7/23/2015 | | | 80,487,197 | | | 56,893,425 | | | 58,740,786 | |
| Constitution | | 84,000 | | 2015 | | 8/20/2015 | | | 80,517,226 | | | 58,487,898 | | | 61,749,813 | |
| Commodore | | 84,000 | | 2015 | | 8/28/2015 | | | 80,468,889 | | | 55,742,930 | | | 58,823,308 | |
| Cresques | | 84,000 | | 2015 | | 9/1/2015 | | | 82,960,176 | | | 60,089,729 | | | 63,422,959 | |
| Constellation | | 84,000 | | 2015 | | 9/30/2015 | | | 78,649,026 | | | 59,052,993 | | | 60,476,385 | |
| Clermont | | 84,000 | | 2015 | | 10/13/2015 | | | 80,530,199 | | | 59,319,500 | | | 62,632,616 | |
| Cheyenne | | 84,000 | | 2015 | | 10/22/2015 | | | 80,503,271 | | | 58,663,899 | | | 61,958,761 | |
| Cratis | | 84,000 | | 2015 | | 10/30/2015 | | | 83,186,333 | | | 60,660,009 | | | 63,978,931 | |
| Commander | | 84,000 | | 2015 | | 11/5/2015 | | | 78,056,729 | | | 58,026,855 | | | 61,150,118 | |
| Chaparral | | 84,000 | | 2015 | | 11/20/2015 | | | 80,516,187 | | | 58,034,099 | | | 59,233,063 | |
| Copernicus | | 84,000 | | 2015 | | 11/25/2015 | | | 83,333,085 | | | 61,008,706 | | | 64,344,201 | |
| Challenger | | 84,000 | | 2015 | | 12/11/2015 | | | 80,576,863 | | | 62,066,325 | | | 60,305,474 | |
| Caravelle | | 84,000 | | 2016 | | 2/25/2016 | | | 81,119,450 | | | 62,754,986 | | | 60,996,102 | |
| Captain Markos | | 84,000 | | 2023 | | 3/31/2023 | | | 84,830,545 | | | 81,848,713 | | | 84,830,545 | |
| | 1,762,000 | | | | | | $ | 1,683,199,374 | | $ | 1,221,132,311 | | $ | 1,272,295,906 | |
| Column 1 | Column 2 |
|---|---|
| (1) | Carrying value for purposes of evaluating our vessels for impairment includes the carrying value of the vessel and unamortized deferred charges related to drydocking of the vessel. Refer to our accounting policies in Note 2 to our consolidated financial statements for vessels carrying values and deferred drydocking costs. As of March 31, 2024, the carrying value and unamortized deferred charges related to drydocking of none of our vessels exceeded their estimated market value. On an aggregate fleet basis, the estimated market value of our vessels was higher than their carrying value and unamortized deferred charges related to drydocking as of March 31, 2024 by $588.0 million. There were no indications of impairment on any of our vessels and no impairment was recorded during the year ended March 31, 2024 as we believed that the carrying value of our vessels was fully recoverable. |
| Column 1 | Column 2 |
|---|---|
| (2) | Carrying value for purposes of evaluating our vessels for impairment includes the carrying value of the vessel and unamortized deferred charges related to drydocking of the vessel. Refer to our accounting policies in Note 2 to our consolidated financial statements for vessels carrying values and deferred drydocking costs. As of March 31, 2023, the carrying value and unamortized deferred charges related to drydocking of none of our vessels exceeded their estimated market value. On an aggregate fleet basis, the estimated market value of our vessels was higher than their carrying value and unamortized deferred charges related to drydocking as of March 31, 2023 by |
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| Column 1 | Column 2 |
|---|---|
| $270.2 million. There were no indications of impairment on any of our vessels and no impairment was recorded during the year ended March 31, 2023. |
Results of Operations For The Year Ended March 31, 2024 As Compared To The Year Ended March 31, 2023
Revenues
The following table compares revenues for the years ended March 31:
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | | | | | | | | Increase / | | Percent | | |
| | 2024 | 2023 | (Decrease) | Change | | |||||||
| Net pool revenues—related party | $ | 532,935,157 | $ | 364,548,262 | $ | 168,386,895 | | 46.2 | % | |||
| Time charter revenues | | 25,895,984 | | 22,709,620 | | 3,186,364 | | 14.0 | % | |||
| Other revenues, net | | 1,886,295 | | 2,491,333 | | (605,038) | | (24.3) | % | |||
| Total | $ | 560,717,436 | $ | 389,749,215 | $ | 170,968,221 | | 43.9 | % |
Revenues, which represent net pool revenues—related party, time charters and other revenues, net, were $560.7 million for the year ended March 31, 2024, an increase of $171.0 million, or 43.9%, from $389.7 million for the year ended March 31, 2023. The increase is primarily attributable to increased average TCE rates and fleet size, partially offset by a slight decrease in fleet utilization. Average TCE rates of $65,986 for the year ended March 31, 2024 increased by $15,524 from $50,462 for the year ended March 31, 2023, primarily due to higher spot rates and lower bunker prices. The Baltic Exchange Liquid Petroleum Gas Index, an index published daily by the Baltic Exchange for the spot market rate for the benchmark Ras Tanura-Chiba route (expressed as U.S. dollars per metric ton), averaged $104.948 during the year ended March 31, 2024 compared to an average of $87.009 for the year ended March 31, 2023. The average price of very low sulfur fuel oil (expressed as U.S. dollars per metric ton) from Singapore and Fujairah decreased from $773 during the year ended March 31, 2023, to $623 during the year ended March 31, 2024. Our available days increased from 8,053 for the year ended March 31, 2023 to 9,003 for the year ended March 31, 2024 due to three additional vessels in our fleet. Our fleet utilization decreased from 95.0% during the year ended March 31, 2023 to 93.9% during the year ended March 31, 2024.
Charter Hire Expenses
Charter hire expenses for the vessels chartered in from third parties were $43.7 million for the year ended March 31, 2024 compared to $23.2 million for the year ended March 31, 2023. The increase of $20.5 million, or 88.3%, was mainly caused by an increase in time chartered-in days from 791 for the year ended March 31, 2023 to 1,512 for the year ended March 31, 2024, partially offset by a slight decline in time charter hire expense per day.
Vessel Operating Expenses
Vessel operating expenses were $80.5 million during the year ended March 31, 2024, or $10,469 per vessel per calendar day, which is calculated by dividing vessel operating expenses by calendar days for the relevant time period for the technically managed vessels that were in our fleet. This was an increase of $9.0 million, or 12.5%, from $71.5 million, or $9,793 per vessel per calendar day, for the year ended March 31, 2023. The increase was partially due to an increase in operating expenses per vessel per calendar day along with an increase of calendar days for our fleet from 7,301 during the year ended March 31, 2023 to 7,686 days during the year ended March 31, 2024 resulting from the delivery of our Dual-fuel ECO VLGC Captain Markos from Kawasaki Heavy Industries in March 2023. The increase of $676 per vessel per calendar day, from $9,793 for the year ended March 31, 2023 to $10,469 per vessel per calendar day for the year ended March 31, 2024 was primarily the result of increases per vessel per calendar day of $391 for spares and stores, $231 for repairs and maintenance, and $191 for miscellaneous operating expenses, partially offset by a decrease of $166 per vessel per calendar day for crew related costs. Of the $676 per day increase in daily operating expense, $307 per vessel per calendar day was related to non-capitalizable drydock-related operating expenses. Excluding those amounts, daily operating expenses increased by $369 from the year ended March 31, 2023.
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Depreciation and Amortization
Depreciation and amortization was $68.7 million for the year ended March 31, 2024, an increase of $5.3 million, or 8.3%, from $63.4 million for the year ended March 31, 2023, primarily resulting from the delivery of our Dual-fuel ECO VLGC Captain Markos in March 2023.
General and Administrative Expenses
General and administrative expenses were $39.0 million for the year ended March 31, 2024, an increase of $6.9 million, or 21.6%, from $32.1 million for the year ended March 31, 2023, primarily driven by increases of $4.1 million in stock-based compensation expense (largely due to higher stock price on the grant date in fiscal year 2024 compared to fiscal year 2023), $1.8 million in cash bonuses, and $1.5 million in employee-related costs and benefits, partially offset by a reduction of $0.5 million in other general and administrative expenses.
Interest and Finance Costs
Interest and finance costs amounted to $40.5 million for the year ended March 31, 2024, an increase of $2.7 million from $37.8 million for the year ended March 31, 2023. The increase of $2.7 million during the year ended March 31, 2024 was driven by increases of $6.6 million in interest incurred on our long-term debt and a decrease of $1.4 million in capitalized interest, partially offset by decreases of $4.4 million in amortization of financing costs and $0.9 in loan expenses and bank charges. The increase in interest on our long-term debt was driven by an increase in average interest rates due to rising SOFR on our floating-rate long-term debt, partially offset by a decrease in average indebtedness, excluding deferred financing fees, from $649.0 million for the year ended March 31, 2023 to $639.9 million for the year ended March 31, 2024. As of March 31, 2024, the outstanding balance of our long-term debt, excluding deferred financing fees, was $610.5 million.
Unrealized Gain on Derivatives
Unrealized gain on derivatives amounted to less than $0.1 million for the year ended March 31, 2024 compared to $2.8 million for the year ended March 31, 2023. The $2.8 million difference is primarily attributable to changes in forward SOFR yield curves and reductions in notional amounts.
Realized Gain on Derivatives
Realized gain on derivatives was $7.5 million for the year ended March 31, 2024, compared to $3.8 million for the year ended March 31, 2023. The favorable $3.7 million difference is largely due to an increase in floating SOFR resulting in the realized gain on our interest rate swaps.
Results of Operations For The Year Ended March 31, 2023 As Compared To The Year Ended March 31, 2022
For a discussion of the year ended March 31, 2023 compared to the year ended March 31, 2022, please refer to Part II, Item 7, “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended March 31, 2023.
Operating Statistics and Reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP Financial Measures
To supplement our financial statements presented in accordance with U.S.GAAP, we present certain operating statistics and non-GAAP financial measures to assist in the evaluation of our business performance. These non-GAAP financial measures include Adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (“Adjusted EBITDA”) and time charter equivalent rate. These non-GAAP financial measures may not be comparable to similarly titled measures used by other companies and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for net income and revenues, which are the most directly comparable measures of performance prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP.
We use these non-GAAP financial measures in assessing the performance of our ongoing operations and in planning and forecasting future periods. These adjusted measures provide a more comparable basis to analyze operating
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results and earnings and are measures commonly used by shareholders to measure our performance. We believe that these adjusted measures, when considered together with the corresponding U.S. GAAP financial measures and the reconciliations to those measures, provide meaningful supplemental information to assist investors and analysts in understanding our business results and assessing our prospects for future performance.
| | | | | | | | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | | | | | | | ||||
| | | Year ended | | Year ended | | Year ended | ||||
| (in U.S. dollars, except fleet data) | | March 31, 2024 | | March 31, 2023 | | March 31, 2022 | ||||
| Financial Data | | | | | | | | | | |
| Adjusted EBITDA | | $ | 417,429,321 | | $ | 271,386,648 | | $ | 161,149,380 | |
| Fleet Data(1) | | | | | | | | | | |
| Calendar days | | 7,686 | | 7,301 | | 7,780 | | |||
| Time chartered-in days | | 1,512 | | 791 | | 579 | | |||
| Available days | | 9,003 | | 8,053 | | 8,201 | | |||
| Operating days | | 8,457 | | 7,652 | | 7,785 | | |||
| Fleet utilization | | | 93.9 | % | | 95.0 | % | | 94.9 | % |
| Average Daily Results(1) | | | | | | | | | | |
| Time charter equivalent rate | | $ | 65,986 | | $ | 50,462 | | $ | 34,669 | |
| Daily vessel operating expenses | | $ | 10,469 | | $ | 9,793 | | $ | 9,538 | |
| Column 1 | Column 2 |
|---|---|
| (1) | Refer to “Important Financial and Operational Terms and Concepts” above for definitions of calendar days, time chartered-in days, available days, operating days, fleet utilization, and daily vessel operating expenses. |
Adjusted EBITDA
Adjusted EBITDA is an unaudited non-U.S. GAAP financial measure and represents net income before interest and finance costs, unrealized (gain)/loss on derivatives, realized (gain)/loss on interest rate swaps, stock-based compensation expense, impairment, and depreciation and amortization and is used as a supplemental financial measure by management to assess our financial and operating performance. We believe that adjusted EBITDA assists our management and investors by increasing the comparability of our performance from period to period. This increased comparability is achieved by excluding the potentially disparate effects between periods of derivatives, interest and finance costs, stock-based compensation expense, impairment, and depreciation and amortization expense, which items are affected by various and possibly changing financing methods, capital structure and historical cost basis and which items may significantly affect net income/(loss) between periods. We believe that including adjusted EBITDA as a financial and operating measure benefits investors in selecting between investing in us and other investment alternatives.
Adjusted EBITDA has certain limitations in use and should not be considered an alternative to net income, operating income, cash flow from operating activities or any other measure of financial performance presented in accordance with GAAP. Adjusted EBITDA excludes some, but not all, items that affect net income. Adjusted EBITDA as presented below may not be computed consistently with similarly titled measures of other companies and, therefore, might not be comparable with other companies.
The following table sets forth a reconciliation of net income to Adjusted EBITDA (unaudited) for the periods presented:
| | | | | | | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | | Year ended | |||||||
| (in U.S. dollars) | | March 31, 2024 | | March 31, 2023 | | March 31, 2022 | |||
| Net income | | $ | 307,446,913 | | $ | 172,443,930 | | $ | 71,935,018 |
| Interest and finance costs | | 40,480,428 | | 37,803,787 | | 27,067,395 | |||
| Unrealized gain on derivatives | | (5,665) | | (2,766,065) | | (11,067,870) | |||
| Realized (gain)/loss on interest rate swaps | | | (7,493,246) | | | (3,771,522) | | | 3,450,443 |
| Stock-based compensation expense | | 8,334,838 | | 4,280,387 | | 3,332,279 | |||
| Depreciation and amortization | | | 68,666,053 | | | 63,396,131 | | | 66,432,115 |
| Adjusted EBITDA | | $ | 417,429,321 | | $ | 271,386,648 | | $ | 161,149,380 |
Time charter equivalent rate
Time charter equivalent rate, or TCE rate, is a non-U.S. GAAP measure of the average daily revenue performance of a vessel. TCE rate is a shipping industry performance measure used primarily to compare period‑to‑period changes in
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a shipping company’s performance despite changes in the mix of charter types (such as time charters, voyage charters) under which the vessels may be employed between the periods. Our method of calculating TCE rate is to divide revenue net of voyage expenses by operating days for the relevant time period, which may not be calculated the same by other companies.
The following table sets forth a reconciliation of revenues to TCE rate (unaudited) for the periods presented:
| | | | | | | | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | | | | | | | | |||
| (in U.S. dollars, except operating days) | | Year ended | | Year ended | | Year ended | | |||
| Numerator: | | March 31, 2024 | | March 31, 2023 | | March 31, 2022 | | |||
| Revenues | | $ | 560,717,436 | | $ | 389,749,215 | | $ | 274,221,448 | |
| Voyage expenses | | | (2,674,179) | | | (3,611,452) | | | (4,324,712) | |
| Time charter equivalent | | $ | 558,043,257 | | $ | 386,137,763 | | $ | 269,896,736 | |
| | | | | | | | | | | |
| Pool adjustment* | | | 1,416,187 | | | (514,015) | | | (2,978) | |
| Time charter equivalent excluding pool adjustment* | | $ | 559,459,444 | | $ | 385,623,748 | | $ | 269,893,758 | |
| | | | | | | | | | | |
| Denominator: | | | | | | | | | | |
| Operating days | | | 8,457 | | | 7,652 | | | 7,785 | |
| TCE rate: | | | | | | | | | | |
| Time charter equivalent rate | | $ | 65,986 | | $ | 50,462 | | $ | 34,669 | |
| TCE rate excluding pool adjustment* | | $ | 66,153 | | $ | 50,395 | | $ | 34,668 | |
* Adjusted for the effects of reallocations of pool profits in accordance with the pool participation agreements as a result of the actual speed and consumption performance of the vessels operating in the Helios Pool exceeding the originally estimated speed and consumption levels.
We determine operating days for each vessel based on the underlying vessel employment, including our vessels in the Helios Pool, or the Company Methodology. If we were to calculate operating days for each vessel within the Helios Pool as a variable rate time charter, or the Alternate Methodology, our operating days and fleet utilization would be increased with a corresponding reduction of our TCE rate. Operating data using both methodologies is as follows:
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | | | | | | | | | | | |||
| | | Year ended | | | Year ended | | | Year ended | | | |||
| Company Methodology: | | March 31, 2024 | | | March 31, 2023 | | | March 31, 2022 | | | |||
| Operating Days | | | 8,457 | | | | 7,652 | | | | 7,785 | | |
| Fleet Utilization | | | 93.9 | % | | | 95.0 | % | | | 94.9 | % | |
| Time charter equivalent rate | | $ | 65,986 | | | $ | 50,462 | | | $ | 34,669 | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Alternate Methodology: | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Operating Days | | | 9,002 | | | | 8,035 | | | | 8,193 | | |
| Fleet Utilization | | | 100.0 | % | | | 99.8 | % | | | 99.9 | % | |
| Time charter equivalent rate | | $ | 61,991 | | | $ | 48,057 | | | $ | 32,942 | | |
We believe that Our Methodology using the underlying vessel employment provides more meaningful insight into market conditions and the performance of our vessels.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Our business is capital intensive, and our future success depends on our ability to maintain a high‑quality fleet. As of March 31, 2024, we had cash and cash equivalents of $282.5 million and non-current restricted cash of $0.1 million.
Our primary sources of capital during the year ended March 31, 2024 were $388.4 million in cash generated from operations. As of March 31, 2024, the outstanding balance of our long-term debt, net of deferred financing fees of $5.4 million, was $605.1 million including $53.5 million of principal on our long-term debt scheduled to be repaid during the year ending March 31, 2025.
Operating expenses, including expenses to maintain the quality of our vessels in order to comply with international shipping standards and environmental laws and regulations, the funding of working capital requirements, long-term debt repayments, financing costs, and commitments, as described in Note 18 to our consolidated financial statements, to build a VLGC/AC and for drydocking and scrubbers, represent our short-term, medium-term and long-term
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liquidity needs as of March 31, 2024. We anticipate satisfying our liquidity needs for at least the twelve months following March 31, 2024 with cash on hand and cash from operations and drawdowns on the revolving credit facility available under the 2023 A&R Debt Facility, if needed. We may also seek additional liquidity through alternative sources of debt financings and/or through equity financings by way of private or public offerings. However, if these sources are insufficient to satisfy our short-term liquidity needs, or to satisfy our future medium-term or long-term liquidity needs, we may need to seek alternative sources of financing and/or modifications of our existing credit facility and financing arrangements. There is no assurance that we will be able to obtain any such financing or modifications to our existing credit facility and financing arrangements on terms acceptable to us, or at all.
On February 2, 2022, our Board of Directors authorized the repurchase of up to $100.0 million of our common shares under the 2022 Common Share Repurchase Authority. Under this authorization, when in force, purchases were and may be made at our discretion in the form of open market repurchase programs, privately negotiated transactions, accelerated share repurchase programs or a combination of these methods. The actual amount and timing of share repurchases are subject to capital availability, our determination that share repurchases are in the best interest of our shareholders, and market conditions. As of March 31, 2024, our total purchases under the 2022 Common Share Repurchase Authority totaled 75,000 shares for an aggregate consideration of $1.8 million. We are not obligated to make any common share repurchases. See Note 11 to our consolidated financial statements included herein for a discussion of our 2022 Common Share Repurchase Authority.
On April 26, 2023, we announced that our Board of Directors declared an irregular cash dividend of $1.00 per share of the Company’s common stock to all shareholders of record as of the close of business on May 8, 2023, totaling $40.4 million. We paid $40.1 million on May 22, 2023 and the remaining $0.3 million is deferred until certain shares of restricted stock vest.
On June 15, 2023, we paid $0.4 million of dividends that were deferred until the vesting of certain restricted stock.
On July 27, 2023, we announced that our Board of Directors declared an irregular cash dividend of $1.00 per share of the Company’s common stock to all shareholders of record as of the close of business on August 10, 2023, totaling $40.6 million. We paid $40.3 million on September 5, 2023, with the remaining $0.3 million deferred until certain shares of restricted stock vest.
On August 5, 2023, we paid $0.7 million of dividends that were deferred until the vesting of certain restricted stock.
On October 6, 2023, we announced that our Board of Directors declared an irregular cash dividend of $1.00 per share of the Company’s common stock to all shareholders of record as of the close of business on October 20, 2023. We paid $40.3 million on November 2, 2023 with the remaining $0.3 million deferred until certain shares of restricted stock vest.
On January 24, 2024, we announced that our Board of Directors declared an irregular cash dividend of $1.00 per share of the Company’s common stock to all shareholders of record as of the close of business on February 5, 2024. We paid $40.3 million on February 27, 2024 with the remaining $0.3 million deferred until certain shares of restricted stock vest.
On April 25, 2024, we announced that our Board of Directors has declared an irregular cash dividend of $1.00 per share of the Company’s common stock totaling $40.6 million. The dividend is payable on or about May 30, 2024 to all shareholders of record as of the close of business on May 8, 2024.
These were irregular dividends. All declarations of dividends are subject to the determination and discretion of the Company’s Board of Directors based on its consideration of various factors, including the Company’s results of operations, financial condition, level of indebtedness, anticipated capital requirements, contractual restrictions, restrictions in its debt agreements, restrictions under applicable law, its business prospects and other factors that the Company’s Board of Directors may deem relevant. Our dividend policy will also impact our future liquidity position. Marshall Islands law
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generally prohibits the payment of dividends other than from surplus or while a company is insolvent or would be rendered insolvent by the payment of such a dividend.
On June 12, 2023, we agreed to an addendum to the Cresques Japanese Financing’s bareboat charter agreement that became effective on June 20, 2023. The terms of the addendum include a switch from a floating interest rate of one-month SOFR plus a margin to a fixed interest rate of 6.55%.
On June 12, 2023, we agreed to an addendum to the Captain Markos Dual-Fuel Japanese Financing’s bareboat charter agreement that became effective on June 30, 2023. The terms of the addendum include a switch from a floating interest rate of one-month SOFR plus a margin to a fixed interest rate of 6.39%.
On July 21, 2023, we agreed to an addendum to the Cougar Japanese Financing’s bareboat charter agreement that became effective on August 21, 2023. The terms of the addendum include a switch from a floating interest rate of three-month SOFR plus a margin to a fixed interest rate of 6.34%.
On December 22, 2023, we entered into the 2023 A&R Debt Facility consisting of (i) a term loan facility in an aggregate original principal amount of $240.0 million, of which $215.0 million remained outstanding on the date of the agreement, (ii) a revolving credit facility in an aggregate principal amount of up to $50.0 million (previously $20.0 million) and (iii) a new, uncommitted accordion term loan facility in an aggregate principal amount of up to $100.0 million. The 2023 A&R Debt Facility matures on August 4, 2029, with drawn amounts thereunder accruing interest at a rate of SOFR plus a margin ranging between 2.05% and 2.15% depending on the ratio of outstanding debt under the facility to the value of the vessels secured under this facility, plus or minus a sustainability pricing adjustment of 0.05%. The undrawn revolving credit facility accrues interest at a rate equal to 0.40% of the margin. For more information regarding our 2023 A&R Debt Facility, see Note 9 to our consolidated financial statements.
On January 16, 2024, we paid $23.8 million to Hanwha Ocean Ltd. as the first installment under the shipbuilding contract for the VLGC/AC.
As part of our growth strategy, we will continue to consider strategic opportunities, including the acquisition or charter-in of additional vessels. We may choose to pursue such opportunities through internal growth, joint ventures, business acquisitions, or other transactions. We expect to finance the purchase price of any future acquisitions either through internally generated funds, public or private debt financings, public or private issuances of additional equity securities or a combination of these forms of financing.
Cash Flows
The following table summarizes our cash and cash equivalents provided by/(used in) operating, financing and investing activities for the periods presented:
| | | | | | | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | | March 31, 2024 | | March 31, 2023 | | March 31, 2022 | |||
| Net cash provided by operating activities | | $ | 388,446,808 | | $ | 224,059,836 | | $ | 118,695,170 |
| Net cash provided by/(used in) investing activities | | (34,801,539) | | (76,341,190) | | 68,766,198 | |||
| Net cash used in financing activities | | (219,719,362) | | (235,232,008) | | (35,178,821) | |||
| Net increase/(decrease) in cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash | | $ | 133,710,119 | | $ | (87,963,264) | | $ | 152,109,715 |
Operating Cash Flows. Net cash provided by operating activities for the year ended March 31, 2024 was $388.4 million compared with $224.1 million for the year ended March 31, 2023. The increase is primarily related to an increase in operating income. For a discussion of the year ended March 31, 2023 compared to the year ended March 31, 2022, please refer to Part II, Item 7, “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Liquidity and Capital Resources” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended March 31, 2023.
Net cash flow from operating activities depends upon our overall profitability, market rates for vessels employed on voyage charters, charter rates agreed to for time charters, the timing and amount of payments for drydocking expenditures and unscheduled repairs and maintenance, fluctuations in working capital balances and bunker costs.
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Investing Cash Flows. Net cash used in investing activities was $34.8 million for the year ended March 31, 2024, compared with net cash used in investing activities of $76.3 million for the year ended March 31, 2023. For the year ended March 31, 2024, net cash used in investing activities was comprised of $32.9 million in payments for a vessel under construction and vessel capital expenditures, and $6.0 million in purchases of investment securities, partially offset by $4.0 million in proceeds from the sale of investment securities. For the year ended March 31, 2023, net cash provided by investing activities was comprised of $68.8 million in payments for a vessel under construction and vessel capital expenditures, and $11.3 million in purchases of U.S treasury notes, partially offset by $3.7 million in proceeds from the sale of investment securities. For a discussion of the year ended March 31, 2023 compared to the year ended March 31, 2022, please refer to Part II, Item 7, “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Liquidity and Capital Resources” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended March 31, 2023.
Financing Cash Flows. Net cash used in financing activities was $219.7 million for the year ended March 31, 2024, compared with net cash used in financing activities of $235.2 million for the year ended March 31, 2023. For the year ended March 31, 2024, net cash used in financing activities consisted of dividends paid of $162.3 million, repayments of long-term debt of $53.1 million, repurchases of common stock of $3.9 million, and financing costs paid totaling $0.4 million. For the year ended March 31, 2023, net cash used in financing activities consisted of repayments of long-term debt of $352.5 million, dividends paid of $220.6 million, payments of financing costs of $6.5 million, and repurchases of common stock totaling of $1.7 million, partially offset by $346.0 million of proceeds from long-term debt borrowings. For a discussion of the year ended March 31, 2023 compared to the year ended March 31, 2022, please refer to Part II, Item 7, “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Liquidity and Capital Resources” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended March 31, 2023.
Capital Expenditures. LPG transportation is a capital‑intensive business, requiring significant investment to maintain an efficient fleet and to stay in regulatory compliance. On March 31, 2023, we took delivery of our newbuilding Dual-fuel ECO VLGC, Captain Markos, from the shipyard of Kawasaki Heavy Industries. On November 24, 2023, we entered into a shipbuilding contract for a newbuilding VLGC/AC with a cargo carrying capacity of 93,000 cbm that can transport LPG or ammonia. As of March 31, 2024, we had $96.0 million of commitments remaining under the shipbuilding contract and supervision agreement related to the newbuilding that will be due open certain milestones until the expected delivery from Hanwha Ocean Co. Ltd. in the third calendar quarter of 2026.
We are generally required to complete a special survey for a vessel once every five years. Drydocking of vessels occurs every five years unless an extension is granted by the classification society to seven and one-half years and the vessel is not older than 15 years of age. Intermediate surveys are performed every two and one-half years after every special survey. Drydocking each vessel takes approximately 15 to 25 days. We spend significant amounts for scheduled drydocking (including the cost of classification society surveys) for each of our vessels.
As our vessels age and our fleet expands, our drydocking expenses will increase. We estimate the current cash outlay for a VLGC special survey to be approximately $1.2 million per vessel (excluding any capital improvements, such as scrubbers and ballast water management systems, to the vessel that may be made during such drydockings) and the cost of an intermediate survey to be between $150,000 and $250,000 per vessel. Ongoing costs for compliance with environmental regulations are primarily included as part of our drydocking and classification society survey costs. In order to comply with current emissions regulations, we have installed scrubbers on fourteen of our vessels and have one chartered-in scrubber-equipped vessel, which allows us to burn heavy fuel oil. Our other non-dual fuel vessels currently consume compliant fuels on board (0.5% sulfur), which are readily available globally, but at a significantly higher cost. We have entered into contracts to commission scrubbers on an additional ECO VLGC and we have contractual commitments for scrubbers of $0.2 million as of March 31, 2024. We also have one newbuilding Dual-fuel ECO VLGC and three chartered-in dual-fuel vessels that have the capability to burn LPG as fuel, which we believe provides an economic benefit over traditional fuel. Please see "Item 1A. Risk Factors—Risks Relating to Our Company—We may incur increasing costs for the drydocking, maintenance or replacement of our vessels as they age, and, as our vessels age, the risks associated with older vessels could adversely affect our ability to obtain profitable charters.”
Description of Our Debt Obligations
See Note 9 to our consolidated financial statements included herein for a description of our debt obligations.
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Recent Accounting Pronouncements
Refer to Note 2 of our consolidated financial statements included herein.