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Seaspan Corporation to acquire fleet of six containerships for $380M
Seaspan Corporation announced that it has agreed to purchase a fleet of six containerships for approximately $380 million in cash. The purchase of the Acquired Vessels is expected to be financed from additional borrowings as well as cash on hand. The closing of the acquisition is expected to occur in December 2019, and is subject to customary closing conditions. Upon closing, the transaction is expected to be immediately accretive to Seaspan's earnings per diluted share.
Subsequent to this acquisition, Seaspan's global fleet approaches one million TEU, with a total pro forma fleet size of approximately 975,000 TEU1. Seaspan continues to be the market leading independent charter owner and operator of containerships, with pro forma market share of approximately 7.7% of the global fleet2, as measured by TEU.
Bing Chen, President and Chief Executive Officer of Seaspan, commented, "This strategic transaction further demonstrates our core competency of allocating capital in a disciplined manner. Connecting this discipline with creative customer partnerships and proven operational excellence generates sustainable long-term value. This acquisition delivers a win-win outcome for one of our key financing partners, a key customer, and for Seaspan. Upon delivery of all vessels, we will grow our fleet to 119 vessels, and further cement Seaspan's position as the leading global independent charter owner and operator of containerships. I'm proud of the Seaspan team for consistently leveraging our core competency in creating quality growth in container shipping and beyond. As consolidation continues to play out in the containership space, we're well positioned to capture great opportunities in the second hand market and to pursue attractive new build programs."
Ryan Courson, Chief Financial Officer, added, "Over the last two years, we have demonstrated discipline through our capital allocation process. By focusing first on improving our balance sheet strength, liquidity and financing flexibility, we have positioned ourselves to execute on large scale, accretive transactions. This fleet acquisition of six high-quality vessels contributes substantial long-term value to our asset portfolio through significant incremental contracted cash flows, increasing Seaspan's minimum future contracted revenue to approximately $4.2 billion. We will continue to remain disciplined in achieving our return objectives while maintaining the strength and flexibility of our balance sheet."