The cyclical nature of the tanker market continues its trend upward, a development which has Lazard & Freres & Co. stamping both Nordic American Tankers (ASE: NAT) and Knightsbridge Tankers Ltd. In a pair of separate corporate profiles released June 29, Lazard & Freres’ James L. In accordance with this information, Winchester has raised VLCCF’s 2000 dividend estimate to $2.32 from $2.29, a dividend which implies of yield of 11.9%. There are a myriad of factors driving the current VLCC surge, chief among them increased oil production and a lack of qualified tonnage. Oil production was boosted by a 708,000 bpd rise in OPEC quota, agreed June 21 to help keep oil pricing in the desired $22-$28 range.