Falling crude tanker prices could lead to a rethink of dividend strategies among public companies in the sector, Clarksons Platou Securities says.

VLCC resales have dropped by $10m in the past year, with a five-year-old VL slipping by double that figure, its analysts noted in a first quarter earnings preview. This has seen net debt to fleet values rise from 49% to 58% despite owners generating substantial cash flow.