FX.co ★ Baltic Dry Index Down for 5th Day

The Baltic Exchange's dry bulk index, a key barometer for rates of vessels carrying dry commodities, decreased for the fifth consecutive day on Friday, registering a 0.7% decline to reach its lowest point since January 23, at 1,923 points. The capesize index, which usually handles 150,000-ton shipments like iron ore and coal, fell by 1.1% to 2,918 points. Simultaneously, the panamax index, responsible for transporting 60,000-70,000 tons of coal or grain, dropped by 0.4% to land at 1,652 points. On the other hand, the smaller supramax index experienced a slight increase of 0.2%, reaching 1,104 points. Over the course of the week, the overall benchmark index recorded an increase of 3.5%.