The Baltic Exchange’s dry bulk sea freight index climbed 4.4% to 3,056 on Wednesday, extending a run of gains to a fifth consecutive session and reaching its highest level since August 10, sources indicated on 26 August 2026.

The movement, driven by a substantial rise in the largest vessel class, represents a continuation of the short-term upswing tracked across the dry bulk complex. The index, which the report notes covers freight rates for capesize, panamax and supramax vessels, has now recorded gains across five trading sessions.

Market advance led by capesize

Capesize rates led the advance, the report said, with that segment jumping 6.3% to 5,033 on Wednesday. That increase outpaced the overall index and was the main contributor to the day’s rise, according to the published summary.

The Baltic Exchange index is compiled from assessments across several vessel classes, and the latest figures show the heaviest upward pressure concentrated in the capesize sector. The report did not provide separate percentage moves for panamax and supramax in its summary.

Short run of gains

The five-session rally has lifted the overall index to levels not seen since August 10, underlining the persistence of the recent upward trend described in the reports item. Wednesday’s 4.4% rise to 3,056 represents the strongest single-day move reported in the summary.

Taken together, the figures published on 26 August 2026 show daily gains accumulating across successive sessions, with the capesize sub-index performing particularly strongly on the day. The report sets out the headline numbers without offering extended commentary on underlying drivers.

Key figures

  • Baltic Exchange dry bulk index: 3,056, up 4.4% (Wednesday).
  • Capesize index: 5,033, up 6.3% (Wednesday).
  • Vessel classes tracked: capesize, panamax, supramax.

The reports item presents the day’s movements as part of a brief market note, listing the principal index changes and the capsized-led nature of the advance. No additional market colour, chartering detail or regional freight flows were included in the supplied summary.

Market participants tracking dry bulk freight will note the numerical jump in the capesize measure and the extension to a fifth positive session for the Baltic Exchange index; the published note confines itself to those statistics. Further updates and fuller breakdowns would be expected in subsequent market reporting and from the Baltic Exchange’s own assessments.