Diana Shipping Inc. (NYSE: DSX) (“Diana”) is the largest shareholder of Genco Shipping & Trading Limited (NYSE: GNK) (“Genco”), with a 14.4% equity ownership stake. Since November 2025, we have made two proposals to acquire Genco that have been rejected by the Genco Board of Directors (the “Genco Board” or the “Board”).
Our current offer of $27.34 per share, comprised of $24.80 per share in cash plus one Diana share valued at $2.54 based on Diana's volume-weighted average price per share for the 30 days ended on June 16, 2026, represents a 53% premium to Genco’s undisturbed closing share price on November 21, 2025, the last trading day before Diana's initial offer to acquire Genco, a 6% premium to Genco's net asset value ("NAV") per share based on vessel valuations provided by VesselsValue, and a 16% premium to Genco's closing share price of $23.51 on June 16, 2026. The Offer represents a compelling value for Genco shareholders at a moment of cyclically high drybulk asset values that are at or near 15-year highs. Genco shareholders have rarely seen this price in the open market, given that the Company has historically traded at an average 30% discount to NAV since 2020. Our offer would eliminate that discount permanently, in cash.
The offer is backed by $1.43 billion in fully committed financing from six leading global banks, so there is no financing condition. It is supported by Star Bulk Carriers Corp. ("Star Bulk"), which has agreed to acquire 16 Genco vessels for $470.50 million in cash upon completion of Diana’s acquisition of Genco. We have delivered a merger agreement in a form we believe can be finalized in a matter of days.
The only thing standing in the way is a Board that refuses to engage in any way.
Instead, the Genco Board has taken steps to entrench themselves to leadership roles and protect outsized pay packages, and to prevent shareholders from having the ability to consider our offer for themselves. At the center of this is a misinformation campaign intended to distract from their considerable failures and the reality that there is certain, premium value sitting on the table.
These are not the actions of a Board acting in shareholders' best interests.
Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
Matters discussed in this communication and other statements made by Diana or Star Bulk, as applicable, 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, but are not limited to, statements regarding the intent, beliefs, expectations, objectives, goals, future events, performance or strategies and other statements of Diana, Star Bulk or their respective management teams, which are other than statements of historical facts.
Diana and Star Bulk desire 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. These forward-looking statements relate to, among other things, Diana’s proposal to acquire Genco and the anticipated benefits of such a transaction, and Diana’s ability to finance such transaction. Forward looking statements can be identified by words such as “believe,” “will,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “estimate,” “forecast,” “project,” “plan,” “potential,” “may,” “should,” “expect,” “pending” and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements.
The forward-looking statements in this press release and in other statements made by Diana or Star Bulk, as applicable, are based upon various assumptions, many of which are based, in turn, upon further assumptions, including without limitation, management’s examination of historical operating trends, data contained in Diana’s or Star Bulk’s records, Genco’s public filings and disclosures and data available from third parties. Although Diana or Star Bulk, as applicable, believes that these assumptions were reasonable when made, because these assumptions are inherently subject to significant uncertainties and contingencies that are difficult or impossible to predict and are beyond their control, Diana or Star Bulk, as applicable, cannot assure you that it will achieve or accomplish these expectations, beliefs or projections.
The forward-looking statements in this communication are based on current expectations, assumptions, and estimates, and are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties. These include, without limitation, risks relating to: (i) the possibility that the proposed transaction may not proceed; (ii) the ability to obtain regulatory or shareholder approvals, if required; (iii) the risk that Genco’s Board of Directors or management may continue to oppose the proposal or not respond to further attempted engagement by Diana; (iv) failure to realize anticipated benefits of the transaction; (v) changes in the financial or operating performance of Diana, Star Bulk or Genco; (vi) the possibility that shareholders of Genco will not elect to tender their shares of common stock of Genco in connection with Diana’s tender offer to purchase all outstanding shares of Genco common stock (the “Offer”) or that the conditions to consummation of the Offer are not satisfied; and (vii) general economic, market, and industry conditions. These and other risks are described in documents filed by Diana with, or furnished by Diana to, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), including its Annual Report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025, and its other subsequent documents filed with, or furnished to, the SEC, and are described in documents filed by Star Bulk with, or furnished by Star Bulk to, the SEC, including its Annual Report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025, and its other subsequent documents filed with, or furnished to, the SEC. Neither Diana nor Star Bulk undertake any obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statement, or to make any other forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except to the extent required by law.
Important Additional Information and Where to Find It
Diana and certain other Participants (as defined below) have filed a definitive proxy statement and accompanying GOLD universal proxy card with the SEC to be used to solicit proxies for, among other matters, the election of Diana’s director nominees to the board of directors of Genco at Genco’s 2026 Annual Meeting, the passage of Diana’s proposal to repeal, at Genco’s 2026 Annual Meeting, by-laws of Genco not publicly disclosed by Genco on or prior to August 28, 2025 and a proposal that the board of directors of Genco conduct a process to explore strategic alternatives (such definitive proxy statement and the accompanying universal GOLD proxy card are available here and the supplement to Diana’s definitive proxy statement and updated accompanying GOLD universal proxy card are available here).
Shareholders of Genco are strongly advised to read the Participants’ proxy statement and other proxy materials, including the accompanying GOLD proxy card, as they become available because they will contain important information. The Participants’ definitive proxy statement, and other proxy materials when filed, are available at no charge on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.
The definitive proxy statement and other relevant documents filed by Genco with the SEC are also available, without charge, by directing a request to Diana’s proxy solicitor, Okapi Partners LLC, at its toll-free number (855) 305-0857 or via email at info@okapipartners.com.
Certain Information Regarding Participants in the Solicitation
The participants in the proxy solicitation (the “Participants”) are Diana; Semiramis Paliou, Director and Chief Executive Officer of Diana; Simeon Palios, Director and Chairman of Diana; Ioannis G. Zafirakis, Director and President of Diana; Maria Dede, co-Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer of Diana; Margarita Veniou, Chief Corporate Development, Governance & Communications Officer and Secretary of Diana; Evangelos Sfakiotakis, Chief Technical Investment Officer of Diana; Maria-Christina Tsemani, Chief People and Culture Officer of Diana; Anastasios Margaronis, Director of Diana; Kyriacos Riris, Director of Diana; Apostolos Kontoyannis, Director of Diana; Eleftherios Papatrifon, Director of Diana; Simon Frank Peter Morecroft, Director of Diana; and Jane Sih Ho Chao, Director of Diana; Diana’s nominees, Jens Ismar and Paul Cornell; Star Bulk Carriers Corp. (“Star Bulk”); Petros Pappas, Director and Chief Executive Officer of Star Bulk; and Hamish Norton, President of Star Bulk.
As of the date hereof, Diana is the beneficial owner of 6,264,548 shares of Genco common stock, representing approximately 14.4% of the outstanding shares of common stock of Genco. As of the date hereof, none of Semiramis Paliou, Simeon Palios, Ioannis G. Zafirakis, Maria Dede, Margarita Veniou, Evangelos Sfakiotakis, Maria-Christina Tsemani, Anastasios Margaronis, Kyriacos Riris, Apostolos Kontoyannis, Eleftherios Papatrifon, Simon Frank Peter Morecroft, Jane Sih Ho Chao, Jens Ismar, Paul Cornell, Star Bulk, Petros Pappas, or Hamish Norton beneficially owns any Genco common stock.
Information Regarding the Offer
On May 4, 2026, Diana commenced a tender offer, through its wholly owned subsidiary 4 Dragon Merger Sub Inc., to purchase all outstanding shares of Genco common stock at $23.50 per share in cash. On May 27, 2026, Diana increased the offer price from $23.50 per share in cash to $24.80 per share in cash. On June 17, 2026, Diana increased its Offer to reflect an implied value of $27.34 per Genco share comprised of $24.80 in cash and one Diana share with an implied value of $2.54 based on Diana's 30-day VWAP as of June 16, 2026. To the extent that Genco declares a cash dividend or other distribution on the Genco shares, the cash component of the offer price will be reduced by the amount payable per share. Diana intends to file with the SEC an amended tender offer statement on Schedule TO and a registration statement on Form F-4 reflecting the terms of its revised Offer. These materials, as may be amended from time to time, will contain important information, including the terms and conditions of the revised Offer. Shareholders of Genco are strongly advised to read Diana's amended tender offer statement, registration statement and other offer documents as they become available because they will contain important information regarding the revised offer. Diana's tender offer statement, offer to purchase and other offer documents, when filed, will be available at no charge on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov.
The Offer is conditioned upon, among other things: (i) Genco entering into a definitive merger agreement with Diana substantially in the form of the merger agreement included with the Offer documents; (ii) Genco shareholders validly tendering a majority of Genco's outstanding shares on a fully diluted basis; (iii) the termination or inapplicability of Genco's shareholder rights plan; (iv) the Genco Board's approval of the transaction under certain affiliate transaction provisions in Genco's charter, (v) Diana's registration statement on Form F-4 being declared effective by the SEC, and (v) other customary conditions. Satisfaction of the merger agreement condition, the shareholder rights plan condition and the affiliate transaction condition is solely within the control of Genco and the members of the Genco Board.
If the Offer is successfully completed, Diana intends to consummate a second-step merger as promptly as practicable, in which any remaining Genco shareholders who did not tender their shares in the Offer would receive the same consideration that was paid in the Offer. As a result, if the Offer is completed and the second-step merger is consummated, all Genco shareholders — whether or not they tender their shares — would receive $24.80 per share in cash and one share of Diana. Importantly, shareholders who tender in the Offer may receive their consideration sooner than those whose shares are acquired in the second-step merger.
Revised Offer Documents will be mailed to Genco shareholders.
Questions and requests for assistance regarding the Offer may be directed to Okapi Partners LLC, the information agent for the Offer, toll-free at (855) 305-0857 or by email at info@okapipartners.com.
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