The Baltic Exchange’s dry bulk freight index, which measures shipping rates for vessels carrying dry bulk commodities, rose for a third consecutive session on Friday, edging up 0.1% to 2,714 points, its highest level since October 13.
The capesize index, covering vessels that typically transport 150,000-ton cargoes such as iron ore and coal, also climbed for the third straight day, gaining 0.9% to 4,126 points, its highest reading since October 12.
In contrast, the panamax index, which reflects rates for ships that usually carry 60,000 to 70,000 tons of coal or grain, declined for a second session, slipping 1.7% to 1,889 points, the lowest since April 13.
Among the smaller vessel segments, the supramax index fell 0.3% to 1,865 points, its lowest level since October 15.
For the week, the benchmark index advanced 2%, but it remains more than 12% lower over the month of October.
