The Baltic Exchange’s dry bulk freight index, which tracks rates for vessels transporting dry bulk commodities, climbed for a fifth straight session on Thursday, gaining 1% to 2,161 points — its highest level since March 5 — supported by increases across all vessel classes. The capesize index, reflecting earnings for ships that typically carry 150,000-ton cargoes such as iron ore and coal, rose 0.5% to 3,235 points, marking a more than one-month high. The panamax index, which covers vessels that usually transport 60,000 to 70,000 tons of coal or grain, advanced 1% to 1,842 points. Among the smaller segments, the supramax index increased 2.5% to 1,293 points.