All that publicly listed shipowners wanted for Christmas was their own stock. At least, it seemed that way.

Euronav, Diana Shipping, DHT Holdings, Star Bulk Carriers and Golden Ocean all announced they had repurchased their shares during the holiday season.

They joined Scorpio Bulkers and DryShips, which had done their shopping earlier in the year.

But did the buyers get good value for their money? The whole issue of share buy-backs can be confusing and their effectiveness difficult to evaluate, even for the experts.