FX.co ★ Baltic Dry Index Retreats

The Baltic Exchange's dry bulk freight index, which tracks rates for vessels transporting dry bulk commodities, declined about 1.4% to 3,151 points on Friday, following a 0.2% gain in the previous session, weighed down by weakness in the larger vessel segment. The capesize index, which typically covers 150,000-ton cargoes such as iron ore and coal, fell 2.3% to 5,316, its steepest daily drop in a week. In contrast, the panamax index, reflecting ships that usually carry 60,000 to 70,000 tons of coal or grain, rose 0.7% to 2,521 points, while the supramax index added 0.5% to reach 1,565 points. Despite the latest daily decline, the overall benchmark index advanced 5.8% over the week.