With 24 US-listed shipping companies under his coverage, Jefferies analyst Omar Nokta is a busy man.

Life is about to get busier over the next three or four weeks as most of those companies report earnings for the first quarter.

Streetwise took advantage of a few moments of calm before the storm and caught up with the 19-year ship finance veteran to sound out his expectations for assorted operating sectors and for some of the key shipowners in those segments.