Star Bulk Merger With Oceanbulk Closes, Creating the Largest U.S. Listed Dry Bulk Company

ATHENS, GREECE--(Marketwired - Jul 11, 2014) - Star Bulk Carriers Corp. ("Star Bulk" or the "Company") (NASDAQ: SBLK) announced today that it has closed the previously announced transactions with entities affiliated with Oaktree Capital Management, L.P. (the "Oaktree Investors") and entities controlled by Star Bulk's Non-Executive Chairman, Mr. Petros Pappas, and certain of his immediate family members, including Milena Maria Pappas, one of Star Bulk's directors (the "Pappas Investors") pursuant to which the merger transaction Oceanbulk Shipping LLC and Oceanbulk Carriers LLC (the "Oceanbulk Companies") and entities controlled by the Pappas Investors have become indirect wholly-owned subsidiaries of Star Bulk in consideration for the issuance to the Oaktree Investors and the Pappas Investors of 54.104 million shares of common stock of Star Bulk (the "Transactions"). 

Through the Transactions, Star Bulk has acquired an operating fleet of 15 dry bulk carrier vessels, with an average age of 5.6 years and an aggregate capacity of approximately 1.75 million dwt, including five Capesize vessels, two post-Panamax vessels, six Kamsarmax vessels and two Supramax vessels and contracts for the construction of 26 fuel-efficient, eco-design newbuilding dry bulk vessels including eight Newcastlemax vessels, eight Capesize vessels and ten Ultramax vessels each being built at shipyards in Japan and China. The newbuild vessels are scheduled to be delivered in 2014, 2015 and 2016. 

Following the closing of the Transactions, the Oaktree Investors own 61.3% of Star Bulk's shares of common stock and the Pappas Investors own 12.6% of Star Bulk's common stock, based on 83,597,969 common shares of Star Bulk issued and outstanding. The Company has entered into shareholders agreements with the Oaktree Investors and the Pappas Investors providing for certain voting restrictions, standstill obligations and ownership limitations and, for the Oaktree Investors, certain rights to make Board nominations and to appoint officers of the Company. In connection with the closing of the Transactions, the Company has appointed four new members to its Board of Directors: Rajath Shourie as a Class A Director, Emily Stephens as a Class B Director, Renee Kemp as a Class C Director and Stelios Zavvos as a Class A Director. As part of the Transactions, Mr. Petros Pappas has been appointed as the Chief Executive Officer of the Company and Mr. Spyros Capralos is the Non-Executive Chairman of the Board.

About Star Bulk

Star Bulk is a global shipping company providing worldwide seaborne transportation solutions in the dry bulk sector. Star Bulk's vessels transport major bulks, which include iron ore, coal and grain and minor bulks which include bauxite, fertilizers and steel products. Star Bulk was incorporated in the Marshall Islands on December 13, 2006 and maintains executive offices in Athens, Greece. Its common stock trades on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol "SBLK". On a fully delivered basis, Star Bulk now has a fleet of 69 vessels, with an aggregate capacity of 8.7 million dwt, consisting primarily of Capesize as well as Kamsarmax, Ultramax and Supramax vessels with carrying capacities between 52,000 dwt and 209,000 dwt. Our fleet now includes 32 operating vessels and 37 vessels currently under construction at shipyards in Japan and China. All of the newbuilding vessels are expected to be delivered during 2014, 2015 and early 2016.

Star Bulk's common stock is listed for trading on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol "SBLK."

Forward-Looking Statements

Matters discussed in this press release may constitute forward-looking statements. The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides safe harbor protections for forward-looking statements in order to encourage companies to provide prospective information about their business. Forward-looking statements include statements concerning plans, objectives, goals, strategies, future events or performance, and underlying assumptions and other statements, which are other than statements of historical facts.

The Company desires to take advantage of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and is including this cautionary statement in connection with this safe harbor legislation. The words "believe," "anticipate," "intends," "estimate," "forecast," "project," "plan," "potential," "may," "should," "expect," "pending" and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements.

Forward-looking statements include, without limitation, statements regarding:

• The delivery to and operation of assets by Star Bulk;
  
  
• Star Bulk's future operating or financial results;
  
  
• Future, pending or recent acquisitions, business strategy, areas of possible expansion, and expected capital spending or operating expenses; and
  
  
• Dry bulk market trends, including charter rates and factors affecting vessel supply and demand.
  
  

The forward-looking statements in this press release are based upon various assumptions, many of which are based, in turn, upon further assumptions, including without limitation, examination by the Company's management of historical operating trends, data contained in its records and other data available from third parties. Although the Company believes that these assumptions were reasonable when made, because these assumptions are inherently subject to significant uncertainties and contingencies which are difficult or impossible to predict and are beyond the Company's control, the Company cannot assure you that it will achieve or accomplish these expectations, beliefs or projections.

In addition to these important factors, other important factors that, in the Company's view, could cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements include the strength of world economies and currencies, general market conditions, including fluctuations in charter rates and vessel values, changes in demand for dry bulk shipping capacity, changes in the Company's operating expenses, including bunker prices, drydocking and insurance costs, the market for the Company's vessels, availability of financing and refinancing, changes in governmental rules and regulations or actions taken by regulatory authorities, potential liability from pending or future litigation, general domestic and international political conditions, potential disruption of shipping routes due to accidents or political events, vessels breakdowns and instances of off-hires and other factors. Please see our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission for a more complete discussion of these and other risks and uncertainties. The information set forth herein speaks only as of the date hereof, and the Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update any forward-looking statements as a result of developments occurring after the date of this communication.