The Baltic Exchange’s dry bulk freight index increased for a second consecutive session on Monday, advancing by roughly 0.5% to reach 2,878 points, Hellenic Shipping News Worldwide reported on 17 August 2026.

The Baltic Dry Index is the leading gauge of freight rates for ships that carry dry bulk commodities. The figure reported on Monday reflects the composite movement of rates across vessel sizes that transport such cargoes.

Among the sub‑components, the capesize index also rose for a second day, climbing about 1.2% to 4,590 points. The capesize classification typically covers vessels that carry approximately 150,000 tonnes and is commonly linked with shipments of iron ore and coal.

The successive upticks in both the overall Baltic Dry Index and the capesize series indicate a renewed, if modest, upward shift in the measured freight rates over the two sessions referenced by the report. The increases reported are numerical and limited in scale when expressed as percentage changes for the day.

Index movements in the latest sessions

The Baltic Dry Index’s reported rise to 2,878 points represents the composite index’s advance on the day described. The capesize index’s rise to 4,590 points is a further, separately reported change for that vessel class.

Key reported figures

  • Baltic Dry Index: about 0.5% up to 2,878 points.
  • Capesize index: about 1.2% up to 4,590 points.

What the capesize reading denotes

Capesize vessels, as noted in the report, are generally used to move large bulk cargoes such as iron ore and coal and have a typical carrying capacity near 150,000 tonnes. Moves in the capesize index therefore largely reflect the cost of transporting those types of bulk commodities on routes that require the use of larger bulk carriers.

The observations in the report are confined to the indices’ short‑term movements over the two sessions identified. They do not include additional market commentary, deeper causation analysis or extended time‑series data beyond the daily changes presented.

Taken together, the reported numbers provide a snapshot of freight rate direction for dry bulk shipping on the day in question. Hellenic Shipping News Worldwide published the details on 17 August 2026, citing the Baltic Exchange’s daily series for the indexes mentioned.