GOGL – First Quarter 2020 Results

Golden Ocean Group Limited (NASDAQ: GOGL / OSE: GOGL) (the “Company” or “Golden Ocean”), a leading dry bulk shipping company, today announced its results for the quarter ended March 31, 2020. 

Highlights

▪      Net loss of $160.8 million, including non-cash adjustments of $125.6 million, for the first quarter of 2020.

▪      Adjusted EBITDA of $12.3 million for the first quarter of 2020.

▪      Completed the joint venture agreement with Frontline and Trafigura to establish a leading global supplier of marine fuels in January 2020.

▪      Completed all 23 planned installations of exhaust gas cleaning systems (“scrubbers”) leaving insubstantial future capital expenditure requirements.

▪      Published 2019 ESG report which details our efforts to develop long-term sustainable business practices and reduce our carbon footprint. 

Ulrik Andersen, Chief Executive Officer, commented:

“Golden Ocean’s first quarter results come amid an extremely weak demand environment brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. While freight rates have yet to display a meaningful recovery, we are optimistic that conditions will improve over the medium term as the pace of industrial activity recovers. In the meantime, we are focused on ensuring our highly competitive cost structure and preserving our strong financial profile. Above all, our first priority is the health and safety of our shore-based employees and our seafarers. We are taking significant precautions to ensure their well-being and are grateful for their contributions in light of the challenging conditions they are facing.”

The Board of Directors

Hamilton, Bermuda

May 27, 2020

Questions should be directed to:

Ulrik Andersen: Chief Executive Officer, Golden Ocean Management AS

Per Heiberg: Chief Financial Officer, Golden Ocean Management AS

The full report is available in the link below.

Forward Looking Statements

Matters discussed in this earnings report may constitute forward-looking statements. The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides safe harbor protections for forward-looking statements, which include statements concerning plans, objectives, goals, strategies, future events or performance, and underlying assumptions and other statements, which are other than statements of historical facts. The Company desires 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. Words such as "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "intend," "plan," "targets," "projects," "likely," "will," "would," "could," "seeks," "potential," "continue," "contemplate," "possible," "might," "forecasts," "may," "should" and similar expressions or phrases may identify forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements in this report 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 our records and other data available from third parties. Although we believe that these assumptions were reasonable when made, because these assumptions are inherently subject to significant uncertainties and contingencies which are difficult or impossible to predict and are beyond our control, we cannot assure you that we will achieve or accomplish these expectations, beliefs or projections. The information set forth herein speaks only as of the date hereof, and we disclaim any intention or obligation to update any forward-looking statements as a result of developments occurring after the date of this communication.

In addition to these important factors and matters discussed elsewhere herein, important factors that, in our view, could cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements include, among other things, the strength of world economies, fluctuations in currencies and interest rates, general market conditions, including fluctuations in charter hire rates and vessel values, changes in demand in the dry bulk market, the length and severity of the COVID-19 outbreak, the impact of public health threats and outbreaks of other highly communicable diseases, changes in our operating expenses, including bunker prices, drydocking and insurance costs, the market for our vessels, availability of financing and refinancing, the impact of the expected discontinuance of LIBOR after 2021 on interest rates of our debt that reference LIBOR, changes in governmental rules and regulations or actions taken by regulatory authorities, potential liability from pending or future litigation, general domestic and international political conditions, potential disruption of shipping routes due to accidents, political events or acts by terrorists, and other important factors described from time to time in the reports filed by the Company with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including our most recently filed Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2019.

This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act.

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