With operators spilling red ink or struggling to stay above water amid poor markets for months on end, the strain has started to show at Greek dry bulk and containership companies.

Big, US-listed outfits have announced ghastly results, unseen since the market downturn of 2016. Diana Shipping, for example, took a $93m accounting impairment in the first quarter. It reflected the impact of the global economic downturn on the earnings potential of its ships.