Scorpio Tankers Inc. (SBBA) presents a perplexing case. At first glance, it appears to be a standard shipping company specializing in refined petroleum product transportation. However, a closer examination of their publicly available financial data reveals a series of anomalies that raise more questions than answers. This is a story of missing market capitalizations, fluctuating outstanding shares, and a curious lack of concrete financial performance indicators.

The first piece of the puzzle is the conspicuous "-1" where SBBA's market capitalization should be. This is highly irregular for a company listed on the NYSE. Market capitalization, a fundamental metric representing a company's total value, is calculated by multiplying the share price by the number of outstanding shares. Its absence suggests either a significant reporting error or a circumstance so unique that it defies traditional calculation methods.

"Definition: Market Capitalization represents the total market value of a publicly traded company's outstanding shares. It is calculated by multiplying the current market price per share by the total number of outstanding shares."

Furthering the intrigue is the erratic behavior of SBBA's outstanding shares. Over recent years, these shares have experienced dramatic fluctuations. Examining quarterly data reveals a peak of over 215 million shares in Q3 2019, followed by a precipitous drop to just over 14 million shares by the year's end. While stock splits can account for such changes, SBBA's records indicate no splits during this period.

The lack of transparent performance indicators adds another layer of complexity. Numerous fields in SBBA's financial data are populated with zeros: profit margin, operating margin, return on assets, return on equity, and revenue, among others. This begs the question: Is this a newly listed company still in its infancy? It is possible, but SBBA's IPO date is listed as June 5, 2020, meaning these figures should be readily available, particularly for the years following the IPO.

One plausible hypothesis is that SBBA has undergone a substantial restructuring. The drastic reduction in outstanding shares in 2019 could be indicative of a massive share buyback program, potentially implemented to bolster the value of the remaining shares. This could also explain the persistent share count fluctuations in subsequent years as the program unfolds. Additionally, a restructuring could involve asset spin-offs or mergers with other entities, leading to complexities in calculating the market capitalization.

Another possibility is a data reporting error. There might be a delay in updating the system, or a technical glitch could be preventing the accurate display of information.

To validate these hypotheses, a more in-depth investigation is required. The following areas warrant further scrutiny:

SBBA's financial data presents a compelling enigma. Unraveling this mystery demands a meticulous investigation that delves beneath the surface numbers to comprehend the underlying narrative. Is this a tale of corporate transformation, data discrepancies, or something else entirely? Only further exploration will illuminate the truth behind the ghost in SBBA's financial machine.

"Fun Fact: The term "ghost in the machine" originates from philosopher Gilbert Ryle's critique of Cartesian dualism. It refers to the notion that the mind is a separate entity from the body. In the context of SBBA, it metaphorically represents the disconnect between the company's perceived operations and its perplexing financial data."