Star Bulk Carriers (NASDAQ:SBLK) Trading 5.4% Higher – What’s Next?

Posted by Francis Steltz on Jul 20th, 2026

Star Bulk Carriers Corp. (NASDAQ:SBLK – Get Free Report) rose 5.4% during trading on Monday . The stock traded as high as $26.34 and last traded at $26.2360. Approximately 395,918 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 72% from the average daily volume of 1,390,845 shares. The stock had previously closed at $24.90.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Star Bulk Carriers from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Saturday, April 18th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $32.00 target price on shares of Star Bulk Carriers in a research note on Friday, May 22nd. Zacks Research lowered shares of Star Bulk Carriers from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, June 22nd. Jefferies Financial Group increased their price target on shares of Star Bulk Carriers from $29.00 to $31.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 28th. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Star Bulk Carriers in a report on Wednesday, June 24th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Star Bulk Carriers presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $31.50.

Read Our Latest Report on Star Bulk Carriers

Star Bulk Carriers Stock Performance

The firm’s fifty day moving average is $26.41 and its 200-day moving average is $24.34. The company has a current ratio of 1.73, a quick ratio of 1.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.96 billion, a PE ratio of 20.86 and a beta of 0.72.

Star Bulk Carriers Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 22nd. Shareholders of record on Friday, June 12th were given a $0.50 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, June 12th. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 7.7%. This is a boost from Star Bulk Carriers’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.37. Star Bulk Carriers’s dividend payout ratio is 160.00%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Nikolaos Karellis sold 20,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $26.96, for a total value of $539,200.00. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, COO Nikolaos Reskos sold 33,103 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $26.28, for a total transaction of $869,946.84. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer directly owned 407,775 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,716,327. This trade represents a 7.51% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 98,103 shares of company stock valued at $2,635,792. 0.90% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio grew its holdings in Star Bulk Carriers by 10.3% during the 4th quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio now owns 4,536 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $87,000 after buying an additional 422 shares during the last quarter. Magnetar Financial LLC raised its holdings in shares of Star Bulk Carriers by 3.1% in the fourth quarter. Magnetar Financial LLC now owns 20,001 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $384,000 after acquiring an additional 604 shares during the last quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets raised its holdings in shares of Star Bulk Carriers by 4.7% in the second quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 13,695 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $236,000 after acquiring an additional 616 shares during the last quarter. Vident Advisory LLC lifted its position in shares of Star Bulk Carriers by 5.6% in the third quarter. Vident Advisory LLC now owns 16,902 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $314,000 after acquiring an additional 891 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Commonwealth Equity Services LLC boosted its stake in shares of Star Bulk Carriers by 8.6% during the fourth quarter. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC now owns 12,399 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $238,000 after acquiring an additional 983 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 33.91% of the company’s stock.

About Star Bulk Carriers

(Get Free Report)

Star Bulk Carriers Corp is a global shipping company engaged in the ocean transport of dry bulk commodities. The company owns and operates a diversified fleet of bulk carriers, including Handymax, Supramax, Panamax and Capesize vessels. Its ships are designed to carry a broad range of cargoes, such as iron ore, coal, grain, bauxite and phosphate, catering to industrial and agricultural customers worldwide.

The company’s vessels operate on major trade routes across the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans, connecting producers and consumers in Asia, Europe, North and South America.