The Baltic Exchange’s dry bulk freight index, which tracks shipping rates for vessels transporting dry bulk commodities, rose 4% to 2,694 points on Wednesday, ending a two-day losing streak, supported by gains in larger vessel segments.
The capesize index, covering ships that typically carry 150,000-ton cargoes such as iron ore and coal, also broke a two-day decline, surging 7.2% to 4,097 points, likely reflecting firmer iron ore prices.
The panamax index, which measures rates for vessels that usually transport 60,000 to 70,000 tons of coal or grain, climbed 1.5% to 1,894 points — its highest level in nearly a week — after 15 consecutive sessions of losses.
Among smaller vessels, the supramax index slipped 0.6% to 1,835 points, its lowest reading since October 13.
