Axel Karlshoej News

Tanker stocks have taken a severe beating this month on declining oil output and global economic jitters, but several analysts are predicting a steady recovery and consider the slump a good buying opportunity. "Charter hire rates are expected to rebound steadily through 2001 as Iraq and OPEC increase oil production," investment bank Lehman Brothers said in a report on Wednesday. "Recent weakness in the oil tanker sector provides an extremely attractive entry point for investors," it added. Lehman Brothers underwrote a controversial tanker initial public offering last week of General Maritime, which was priced at $18 a share and has since traded down to a low of $12.90 a share on Wednesday.

Teekey Shipping Corp. said its chairman, Axel Karlshoej, will resign from the board because of work demands at his company, Nordic Industries. Karlshoej will be replaced by C. Sean Day, a member of the board and consultant to the trust group that holds about 45 percent of Teekay’s shares. Teekay also said it expanded the board to nine members from eight, appointing Leif O. Hoegh to the ninth position in conjunction with Teekay’s acquisition of Bona Shipholding Ltd.