Costamare's latest purchase of 12 dry bulk ships could be seen as good or bad, depending on whom you ask.

The Costis Constantakopoulos-led company had been a pure-play containership owner until it bought 16 bulkers in mid-June.

It announced that it was adding the latest dozen bulkers on Thursday in a background note to a regular dividend announcement.

"I'm not surprised after the first 16 that they were really pretty secretive about it," Stifel analyst Ben Nolan told TradeWinds.