SFL (NYSE:SFL) Releases Quarterly Earnings Results

SFL (NYSE:SFL) issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday. The shipping company reported ($0.04) EPS for the quarter, Briefing.com reports. The company had revenue of $175.51 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $168.36 million. SFL had a positive return on equity of 3.05% and a negative net margin of 0.20%.The business’s revenue for the quarter was down 23.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $0.15 EPS.

Here are the key takeaways from SFL’s conference call:

• Dividend declared of $0.20 per share (88th consecutive quarter), implying ~9% yield and part of >$2.9 billion returned to shareholders historically.
• Q4 revenues of $176 million and an adjusted EBITDA-equivalent cash flow of $109 million (LTM EBITDA ~$450 million), supported by very high fleet utilization (~98.6%) and targeted efficiency/LNG upgrades.
• Suezmax transactions generated strong cash and returns — two 2015 vessels sold at about $57m each (recorded ~ $11.3m book gain and ~$26m net cash effect) and remaining 2020-built Suezmaxes trading in a stronger spot market with broker valuations >$80m.
• Reported a GAAP net loss of ~$4.7 million for the quarter driven by a $23 million settlement expense related to two Suezmax charter releases, highlighting potential P&L volatility from non‑recurring items and spot trading accounting rules.
• The offshore rig Hercules remains warm‑stacked/idle since Nov 2024, removing a formerly significant cash contributor (rig debt was repaid on the balance sheet and a ~$100 million refinancing is expected subject to customer/closing conditions).

SFL Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:SFL traded up $0.03 during trading on Thursday, reaching $10.03. 720,818 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,570,713. SFL has a 12 month low of $6.73 and a 12 month high of $10.29. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $8.29 and a 200-day moving average price of $8.12. The company has a current ratio of 0.42, a quick ratio of 0.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.96. The firm has a market cap of $1.46 billion, a PE ratio of -1,003.50 and a beta of 0.47.

SFL Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 30th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, March 12th will be given a dividend of $0.20 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 12th. This represents a $0.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 8.0%. SFL’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is -8,000.00%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have recently commented on the company. Weiss Ratings upgraded SFL from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. Wall Street Zen raised SFL from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, January 31st. Finally, BTIG Research upped their target price on shares of SFL from $11.00 to $12.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $12.00.

Key SFL News

Here are the key news stories impacting SFL this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Board declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.20 (88th consecutive quarter), implying a ~8% yield which supports income-driven demand for the shares. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support: BTIG raised its price target to $12 and maintains a Buy rating, giving ~20% upside vs. the recent price — this can attract momentum buyers and institutional interest. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Fleet moves focused on tankers: SFL sold two older Suezmaxes for ~$52M net and invested ~$23M in two 2020-built Suezmax tankers to increase exposure to a “boiling” tanker market — a trade that can improve earnings when tanker rates stay elevated. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Company released a results presentation and hosted a webcast/earnings call; full transcripts and slide deck are available for investors to review guidance and management commentary. Read More. • Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Reported a small net loss of $4.7M (EPS -$0.04) and revenue of ~$175.5–176M, down ~23% year-over-year; adjusted EBITDA was $109M but the company posted a tiny negative net margin — these results highlight near-term profitability pressure. Read More.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Credit Agricole S A bought a new position in SFL during the 3rd quarter worth $2,064,000. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. lifted its position in SFL by 7.2% during the second quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 2,806,744 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $23,380,000 after purchasing an additional 188,441 shares during the period. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. grew its stake in SFL by 16.0% during the fourth quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 1,259,801 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $9,839,000 after buying an additional 174,072 shares in the last quarter. Jane Street Group LLC increased its holdings in SFL by 122.0% in the 1st quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 181,556 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $1,489,000 after buying an additional 99,767 shares during the period. Finally, Empowered Funds LLC lifted its holdings in shares of SFL by 15.1% during the 4th quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 660,013 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $5,155,000 after acquiring an additional 86,339 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 28.59% of the company’s stock.

SFL Company Profile

Ship Finance International Limited (NYSE: SFL) is an independent owner of modern, large-size ocean-going vessels that provides finance and leasing services to the global shipping industry. The company’s fleet encompasses a diversified mix of crude oil tankers, product and chemical tankers, liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers, dry bulk carriers, container vessels and floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) units. By structuring long-term charter agreements and bareboat leases with major oil companies, commodity traders and offshore operators, Ship Finance International seeks to deliver stable cash flows and risk-adjusted returns for its shareholders.

In its core business, Ship Finance International acquires or finances vessels through forward sales agreements and then charters them out under fixed-rate contracts, typically ranging from five to 20 years in duration.