George Economou, who serves as chief executive of DryShips and its spinoffs, fielded questions about the proposed Nasdaq listing during his company’s fourth-quarter conference call.

Prior to a question-and-answer session with analysts and investors Economou indicated efforts to overhaul existing debt will be management’s top priority in the months ahead.

The executive acknowledged that this is, in large part, why DryShips plans to offload a portion of its stake in Tankships, which is pursuing a fundraiser that could top $150m.

In