UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

FORM 8-K

 

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

 

 

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): May 2, 2016 (April 28, 2016)

 

 

Eagle Bulk Shipping Inc.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Republic of the Marshall Islands	001-33831	98-0453513
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation)	(Commission File Number)	(IRS employer identification no.)
	300 First Stamford Place 5th Floor Stamford, CT 06902
(Address of principal executive offices, including zip code)

 

(203) 276-8100

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

 
(Former Name or Former Address, if Changed Since Last Report): None

 

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):

 

☐	Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)
☐	Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)
☐	Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))
☐	Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

 

 

Item 3.01

Notice of Delisting or Failure to Satisfy a Continued Listing Rule or Standard; Transfer of Listing.

 

On April 28, 2016, Eagle Bulk Shipping Inc. (the “Company”) received a letter from the Listing Qualifications Department of The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC (“NASDAQ”) notifying the Company that, based upon the closing bid price of the Company’s common stock, par value US$0.01 per share (“Common Stock”), for the last 30 consecutive business days, the Common Stock did not meet the minimum bid price of $1.00 per share required by NASDAQ Listing Rule 5450(a)(1) (the “Minimum Bid Rule”), initiating an automatic 180 calendar-day grace period for the Company to regain compliance.

 

The notice has no immediate effect on the listing or trading of the Company’s Common Stock, and the Common Stock will continue to trade on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol “EGLE”.

 

In accordance with NASDAQ Listing Rule 5810(c)(3)(A), the Company has a period of 180 calendar days from the date of the notification, or until October 25, 2016, to achieve compliance with the Minimum Bid Rule. The Company will regain compliance with the Minimum Bid Rule if at any time before October 25, 2016, the bid price for the Company’s Common Stock closes at or above $1.00 per share for a minimum of 10 consecutive business days.

 

Prior to receipt of the above-referenced letter, as previously reported on a Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on March 30, 2016 (the “March 8-K”), the Company already had plans to submit for shareholder approval a proposal to implement a reverse stock split to increase the per share trading price of the Company’s Common Stock, which will be impacted by the increase in the number of issued and outstanding shares of Common Stock required under the Second Lien Loan Agreement (as defined in the March 8-K).

 

If approved by the Company’s shareholders, the reverse stock split is also anticipated to increase the per share trading price of the Company’s Common Stock to regain compliance with the Minimum Bid Rule and to maintain the eligibility of the Company’s Common Stock for listing on the NASDAQ Global Select Market. In the event the Company does not regain compliance with the Minimum Bid Rule by October 25, 2016, the Company may be eligible for an additional 180 calendar-day compliance period if it elects to transfer to the NASDAQ Capital Market so as to take advantage of the additional compliance period offered on that market. To qualify, the Company would be required to meet the continued listing requirement for market value of publicly held shares and all other initial listing standards for the NASDAQ Capital Market, with the exception of the bid price requirement, and would need to provide written notice of its intention to cure the deficiency during the second compliance period.

 

Even if the Company obtains shareholder approval and implements the reverse stock split, there can be no assurance that the reverse stock split will result in a per share trading price of the Company’s Common Stock sufficient to achieve compliance with the Minimum Bid Rule. The Company intends to continue to monitor the bid price levels for the Common Stock and may consider appropriate alternatives and additional actions to achieve compliance with the Minimum Bid Rule within the initial 180 calendar-day compliance period.

 

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

 

This report contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act Securities Act, Section 21E of the Exchange Act and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, and are intended to be covered by the safe harbor provided for under these sections. These statements may include words such as “believe,” “estimate,” “project,” “intend,” “expect,” “plan,” “anticipate,” and similar expressions in connection with any discussion of the timing or nature of future operating or financial performance or other events. Forward-looking statements reflect management’s current expectations and observations with respect to future events and financial performance. Where we express an expectation or belief as to future events or results, such expectation or belief is expressed in good faith and believed to have a reasonable basis. However, our forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties, and other factors, which could cause actual results to differ materially from future results expressed, projected, or implied by those forward-looking statements.

 

 

The principal factors that affect our financial position, results of operations and cash flows include, charter market rates, which have declined significantly from historic highs, periods of charter hire, vessel operating expenses and voyage costs, which are incurred primarily in U.S. dollars, depreciation expenses, which are a function of the cost of our vessels, significant vessel improvement costs and our vessels’ estimated useful lives, and financing costs related to our indebtedness. Our actual results may differ materially from those anticipated in these forward- looking statements as a result of certain factors which could include the following: (i) changes in demand in the dry bulk market, including, without limitation, changes in production of, or demand for, commodities and bulk cargoes, generally or in particular regions; (ii) greater than anticipated levels of dry bulk vessel new building orders or lower than anticipated rates of dry bulk vessel scrapping; (iii) changes in rules and regulations applicable to the dry bulk industry, including, without limitation, legislation adopted by international bodies or organizations such as the International Maritime Organization and the European Union or by individual countries; (iv) actions taken by regulatory authorities; (v) changes in trading patterns significantly impacting overall dry bulk tonnage requirements; (vi) changes in the typical seasonal variations in dry bulk charter rates; (vii) changes in the cost of other modes of bulk commodity transportation; (viii) changes in general domestic and international political conditions; (ix) changes in the condition of the Company’s vessels or applicable maintenance or regulatory standards (which may affect, among other things, our anticipated drydocking costs); (x) the outcome of our discussions with the agent of our credit facility regarding the calculation of collateral covenants, (xi) the outcome of legal proceeding in which we are involved; and (xii) and other factors listed from time to time in our filings with the SEC.

 

We disclaim any intent or obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required under applicable securities laws. If we update one or more forward-looking statements, no inference should be made that we will make additional updates with respect to those or other forward-looking statements.

 

 

SIGNATURES

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

 

 

	EAGLE BULK SHIPPING INC.
	(registrant)
Dated: May 2, 2016	By:	/s/ Adir Katzav
	Name:	Adir Katzav
	Title:	Chief Financial Officer