The Baltic Dry Index rose by 65 points to reach 2,805 on Friday, 6 November 2026, sources indicated. The figure, compiled by the London-based Baltic Exchange, reflects movement across the dry bulk shipping market for cargoes such as coal, grain and iron ore.
The Baltic Dry Index is calculated from a daily survey of shipbroking agents around the world and is widely used as a gauge of demand for dry bulk tonnage. A 65-point increase in a single session points to firmer chartering activity, though the index typically moves in response to a complex mix of vessel availability and cargo requirements.
Shipowners and charterers watch the index for signals about freight market conditions and short-term shifts in demand. Brokers often use the Baltic Exchange assessments to price contracts, and traders monitor the series for clues about global commodity flows and industrial activity.
The recent rise was reported on 6 November 2026. The news outlet gave the updated level and reiterated the Exchange’s role in compiling the daily numbers from its global agent network.
Market participants use changes in the index to assess where spot freight rates are heading, but single-day moves are rarely definitive on their own. Analysts typically look for sustained trends or corroborating data from vessel employment and cargo fixtures to form a fuller view.
What the index tracks The Baltic Dry Index aggregates a range of vessel size segments and route assessments into a single headline number representing spot freight conditions for dry bulk commodities. It does not include tanker or container trades and is therefore specific to bulk cargoes such as coal, iron ore and agricultural products.
Daily fixes from shipbrokers feed into the Exchange’s calculations, which aim to reflect prevailing willingness to pay for moving cargoes on particular trades. Because the index is derived from market surveys rather than exchange-traded contracts, it is particularly sensitive to short-term shifts in demand and supply at the level of individual voyages.
How to read short-term moves A rise of 65 points to 2,805 indicates firmer conditions on the day reported, but market observers usually place such moves in the context of recent weeks or months. Freight analysts will compare the headline with underlying activity across key trades and vessel classes to determine whether the movement signals a durable change.
Commercial users of dry bulk shipping information typically supplement the Baltic numbers with fixture data, vessel availability lists and cargo flow reports. Those combined sources give a clearer indication of whether a one-day increase is the start of a trend or a short-lived uptick.
The Baltic Exchange remains the central source for the index, and updates such as the one reported on 6 November 2026 are routinely cited by shipping press and market participants. reports’s item relayed the Exchange’s daily move and reiterated the index’s role as a principal barometer of spot dry bulk freight.
Readers seeking to monitor freight market conditions should treat single-session changes as informative but not conclusive and look for corroborating evidence across fixtures and vessel employment data. The Baltic Dry Index continues to serve as a widely followed indicator of activity in the dry bulk sector, with daily movements closely tracked by shipowners, charterers and commodity traders.