Ardmore Shipping saw a slightly smaller loss than expected for the first quarter as 'soft' charter market conditions continue to hit product tankers.

The New York-listed company, though, was able to boost its cash hoard through striking a sales leaseback deal.

Ardmore reported a $5.2m net loss for the period, compared to $2.2m loss in the year earlier period.

The loss per share figure of $0.16