Baltic Index Extends Gaining Streak

September 21, 2017

© Viktoriya Kundeus / Adobe Stock
© Viktoriya Kundeus / Adobe Stock
Baltic Exchange's main sea freight index, tracking rates for ships carrying dry bulk commodities, rose for a sixth consecutive session, helped by stronger rates for capesize and smaller vessels.

The overall index, which factors in rates for capesize, panamax, supramax and handysize shipping vessels, rose 21 points, or 1.45 percent, to 1,470 points.

The capesize index was up 87 points, or 3.04 percent, at 2,948 points.

Average daily earnings for capesizes, which typically transport 150,000-tonne cargoes such as iron ore and coal, increased $631 to $21,325 - their highest since Nov. 25, 2014.

"With good demand out of Brazil as well as steady supply of coal cargoes, Cape rates are on the run again," ship brokerage firm Fearnleys said in a weekly report on Wednesday.

The panamax index slipped 17 points, or 1.11 percent, to 1,514 points.

Average daily earnings for panamaxes, which usually carry coal or grain cargoes of about 60,000 to 70,000 tonnes, fell $140 to $12,170.

Among indexes tracking rates for smaller vessels, the supramax index increased 17 points to 1,050 points, and the handysize index rose 10 points to 586 points.
 
 
Reporting by Eileen Soreng in Bengaluru

Related News

Blinken Applauds Diplomacy at ASEAN Meeting Italian Navy Orders Five Minehunter Vessels for $2.82 Billion Containership Fleet Growing at Fastest Rate in 15 Years All Inter-Array Cables Laid at Dogger Bank’s First 1.2GW Phase How the Ukrainians – With No Navy – Defeated Russia’s Black Sea Fleet