OSG's Tax Liability - $199 Million Less Than Previously Thought

Beleaguered tanker company Overseas Shipholding Group Inc. (OSG), saw today its stock jumping 36%, amid very heavy trading. The stock closed at $6.05 per share, up $1.60 for the day. The company is under Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, and its stock is trading in the pink sheets under the symbol OSGIQ, after having been delisted from the New York Stock Exchange.

A major reason for the company’s bankruptcy petition in November 2012 was an IRS claim for approximately $463 million in back taxes. Well, after today’s market close, the company disclosed in a SEC filing that the IRS had amended its claim. The new amount will now be for only $264 million. That should be a good reason for the stock to jump.

One can only assume that the latest SEC filing was the best-kept secret for the day.