Global Ship Lease announces agreement to acquire 12 containerships
Global Ship Lease, Inc. has agreed to purchase 12 containerships from Borealis Finance LLC with an average size of approximately 3,000 TEU and a weighted average age of 11 years for an aggregate purchase price of $233.9 million, according to the company's release.
The ships are all on charter with leading liner operators, with remaining charter durations of three to 25 months. With these additions, the company’s fleet will comprise 62 containerships with a total capacity of 322,770 TEU, making Global Ship Lease the eighth largest non-operating owner of containerships by TEU capacity.
The 12 vessels are scheduled for delivery during the third quarter of 2021. The company expects to fund the purchase price with cash on hand, the proceeds of new bank debt, and the issuance of $35.0 million of its existing 8.00% Senior Unsecured Notes to the sellers.
Based on the existing charters and assuming renewals at current market rates for the four charters that come open prior to mid-2022, the newly acquired ships are expected to contribute approximately $60.5 million of Adjusted EBITDA in the first 12 months. This represents an increase of approximately 36% on Adjusted EBITDA for the 12 months ended March 31, 2021 and implies a strongly accretive Purchase Price / Annual Adjusted EBITDA multiple of approximately 3.9 times. The ships are anticipated to add approximately $1.09 of earnings per share in the first 12 months, based on today’s outstanding share count, today’s LIBOR, and other assumptions, representing an increase of approximately 70% compared to Adjusted earnings per share for the 12 months ended March 31, 2021.
Clarksons Platou Securities AS acted as sole advisor to Global Ship Lease, which was represented by Seward & Kissel LLP as legal counsel.
About Global Ship Lease
Global Ship Lease is a leading independent owner of containerships with a diversified fleet of mid-sized and smaller containerships. Incorporated in the Marshall Islands, Global Ship Lease commenced operations in December 2007 with a business of owning and chartering out containerships under fixed-rate charters to top tier container liner companies. On November 15, 2018, it completed a strategic combination with Poseidon Containers.
Global Ship Lease owns 49 containerships and has contracted to purchase a further 13 ships, ranging from 1,118 to 11,040 TEU, with a total capacity (when fully delivered) of 322,770 TEU. 32 ships are Post-Panamax, of which nine are fuel-efficient new-design wide-beam.
Adjusted to include all charters agreed, and ships acquired or divested as at May 31, 2021 for a total on-the-water fleet of 49 ships, the average remaining term of the Company’s charters as at March 31, 2021, to the mid-point of redelivery, including options under the Company’s control, was 2.6 years on a TEU-weighted basis. Contracted revenue on the same basis was $984.3 million. Contracted revenue was $1,134.9 million, including options under charterers’ control and with latest redelivery date, representing a weighted average remaining term of 3.1 years.