SFL (NYSE:SFL) Releases Earnings Results, Beats Expectations By $0.14 EPS

SFL (NYSE:SFL) released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday. The shipping company reported $0.20 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.06 by $0.14, FiscalAI reports. The firm had revenue of $174.48 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $172.38 million. SFL had a negative return on equity of 0.30% and a negative net margin of 3.61%.SFL’s quarterly revenue was down 6.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business posted ($0.24) EPS.

Here are the key takeaways from SFL’s conference call:

• SFL raised its quarterly dividend to $0.22 per share, marking its 89th consecutive quarterly dividend and a 10% increase from the prior quarter.
• The company reported $174 million in revenue, $108 million of adjusted EBITDA, and $26 million in net income for Q1, while emphasizing stable cash generation and a strong backlog.
• SFL added about $170 million of backlog with a new Hercules drilling rig contract starting in Canada in Q1 2027, strengthening long-term earnings visibility for the energy segment.
• The company said its tanker exposure is benefiting from an exceptionally strong spot market, with the two Suezmax vessels generating higher cash flow than the prior four-vessel charter arrangement and management looking for longer-term follow-on charters.
• SFL ended the quarter with over $280 million of available liquidity, refinanced rig facilities on favorable terms, and completed a $75 million bond tap; it also plans to redeem its $150 million 2029 bonds with existing liquidity.

SFL Stock Down 2.5%

Shares of SFL stock traded down $0.32 during trading hours on Wednesday, reaching $12.49. The company had a trading volume of 437,464 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,481,558. The company has a market capitalization of $1.81 billion, a P/E ratio of -62.48 and a beta of 0.42. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.04, a quick ratio of 0.35 and a current ratio of 0.36. SFL has a twelve month low of $6.73 and a twelve month high of $12.94. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $10.93 and its 200 day simple moving average is $9.32.

SFL Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 22nd. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, May 27th will be paid a $0.22 dividend. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 7.0%. This is an increase from SFL’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.20. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, May 27th. SFL’s payout ratio is -400.00%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

SFL has been the topic of several recent research reports. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of SFL from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Sunday, May 3rd. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of SFL in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Finally, BTIG Research increased their price target on shares of SFL from $12.00 to $14.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, SFL currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $14.00.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On SFL

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of SFL. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. raised its stake in shares of SFL by 3.5% during the third quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 2,904,433 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $21,870,000 after purchasing an additional 97,689 shares during the period. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. boosted its stake in shares of SFL by 16.0% in the fourth quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 1,259,801 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $9,839,000 after purchasing an additional 174,072 shares during the period. Empowered Funds LLC grew its holdings in SFL by 15.1% during the 4th quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 660,013 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $5,155,000 after purchasing an additional 86,339 shares in the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. grew its holdings in SFL by 4.9% during the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 509,232 shares of the shipping company’s stock valued at $3,977,000 after purchasing an additional 23,937 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Voloridge Investment Management LLC increased its stake in SFL by 25.0% during the 4th quarter. Voloridge Investment Management LLC now owns 295,668 shares of the shipping company’s stock worth $2,309,000 after buying an additional 59,141 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 28.59% of the company’s stock.

More SFL News

Here are the key news stories impacting SFL this week:

• Positive Sentiment: SFL reported preliminary Q1 2026 earnings of $0.20 per share, well ahead of the $0.06 consensus estimate, with revenue of $174.5 million also slightly above expectations. Article link
• Positive Sentiment: The company raised its quarterly dividend to $0.22 per share from $0.20, a 10% increase, reinforcing its income appeal. Article link
• Positive Sentiment: BTIG Research raised its price target on SFL to $14.00 from $12.00 and kept a Buy rating, signaling additional upside confidence. Article link
• Neutral Sentiment: Management highlighted a $170 million drilling contract for the Hercules rig and $250 million of refinancing for the Linus and Hercules rigs, which supports liquidity and longer-term growth but is not an immediate catalyst. Article link
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue was still down 6.8% year over year, and the company remains exposed to volatile shipping markets, which can temper enthusiasm even after an earnings beat. Article link

SFL Company Profile

Ship Finance International Limited (NYSE: SFL) is an independent owner of modern, large-size ocean-going vessels that provides finance and leasing services to the global shipping industry. The company’s fleet encompasses a diversified mix of crude oil tankers, product and chemical tankers, liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers, dry bulk carriers, container vessels and floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) units. By structuring long-term charter agreements and bareboat leases with major oil companies, commodity traders and offshore operators, Ship Finance International seeks to deliver stable cash flows and risk-adjusted returns for its shareholders.

In its core business, Ship Finance International acquires or finances vessels through forward sales agreements and then charters them out under fixed-rate contracts, typically ranging from five to 20 years in duration.