BALTIC DRY INDEX

Photorealistic AI-generated image of a large Capesize bulk carrier sailing across open water under an overcast blue-grey sky. The vessel features a dark hull with a rust-red lower section, closed cargo hatches, a white aft superstructure and a red-and-black funnel. White spray forms around its bow as it moves through choppy seas

Dry bulk’s great divide: Capesizes surge as Kamsarmaxes take a 10% hit

02/11/202603/11/2026

The dry bulk market split sharply in the week ending 30 October 2026, as Capesizes gained ground while Kamsarmaxes suffered double-digit losses despite a rising Baltic Dry Index

Large red bulk carrier alongside an industrial iron ore terminal, surrounded by tugboats beneath towering orange cranes

Capesize rates surge 16.68% as Kamsarmaxes sink in a divided dry bulk market

26/10/202628/10/2026

Capesize rates surged 16.68% as Kamsarmaxes fell 8.86% in the week ending 23 October 2026, lifting the Baltic Dry Index despite sharply contrasting conditions across vessel segments and trading regions

Head-on view of a massive Capesize bulk carrier cutting through choppy seas, with white spray surging around its weathered steel bow

Dry bulk’s great divide: the giants lose ground

19/10/202621/10/2026

Capesize rates plunged 25.14%, dragging the Baltic Dry Index down 406 points to 2,511, while Ultramax and Handysize vessels gained ground in the week ending 16 October 2026

A massive, rusted steel sphere sinks into black gravel while three smaller spheres remain upright beneath an overcast grey sky, symbolising diverging dry bulk freight markets

Capes take a hit, but smaller bulkers refuse to follow

12/10/202613/10/2026

Capesize rates plunged, dragging the Baltic Dry Index lower, while smaller vessels resisted the downturn. The week ending 9 October 2026 exposed a dry bulk market moving at sharply different speeds

Low-angle view of a large Capesize bulk carrier cutting through choppy seas under an overcast sky

Capes hit the brakes as dry bulk loses momentum

05/10/202607/10/2026

Capesize losses set the direction for dry bulk, dragging the BDI lower while smaller vessel segments showed greater resilience in the week ending October 2, 2026

Aerial view of four bulk carriers moving outward in different directions, their wakes converging around a central ocean current

Gentle tides, diverging currents: dry bulk’s uneven week

21/09/202623/09/2026

In the week ending 18 September 2026, dry bulk showed a clear split by vessel size, with larger segments retreating as Ultramaxes and Handies strengthened

Typographic illustration of a bulk carrier amid swirling global dry bulk market data, freight routes, rates and directional arrows

Dry bulk at a standstill: a market searching for direction

14/09/202616/09/2026

Dry bulk markets searched for direction as Capesizes weakened and smaller segments firmed during the week ending 11 September 2026, with regional tonnage – cargo balances increasingly shaping freight outcomes

Geometric editorial illustration of four dry bulk carriers moving at different speeds through a stylised global maritime trading landscape

Dry bulk market gains momentum as September gets off to a strong start

07/09/202609/09/2026

Dry bulk markets entered September with renewed momentum, as the week ending September 4, 2026, brought stronger rates across key basins, supported by tightening tonnage availability and resilient cargo demand

Wide elevated view across the steel-blue deck of a large bulk carrier underway in deep-blue open sea

When the giants rise, the dry bulk market follows

10/08/202611/08/2026

Dry bulk markets strengthened in the week ending 7 August 2026, as Capesize and Kamsarmax gains lifted the BDI, while smaller vessel segments remained broadly steady

Low-angle view of a large dry bulk carrier sailing in coastal waters beneath a dramatic cloud-filled sky, with mountainous shoreline visible in the background

Dry bulk market stuck in neutral as freight momentum fades

03/08/202607/08/2026

Drawing on market data from the week ending July 31, 2026, the dry bulk market remained largely range-bound, with larger vessel classes posting marginal gains while smaller segments continued to struggle under weak demand