The Baltic Exchange dry bulk freight index climbed 2.5% to 3,186 on Friday, extending a run of daily gains to a seventh consecutive session and reaching its highest level since 2 June.
Sources indicated on 28 August 2026 that the advance was broad-based and led by the larger vessel-size segment, with the move recorded against the index’s composite measure of freight rates.
Market movement
The index quoted by the Baltic Exchange aggregates freight rates across the main dry bulk classes and in Friday’s trading the composite reading moved to 3,186 following the latest uptick of 2.5%.
That reading marks the seventh straight session of positive returns for the benchmark and is the strongest level recorded since 2 June, according to reports item on 28 August 2026.
Segment performance
Gains on Friday were reported to be broad-based across the three tracked categories, with the largest vessel-size segment providing the principal impetus for the rise.
The Baltic Dry Index measures freight charges for vessels carrying dry bulk commodities across the Capesize, Panamax and Supramax segments, and Friday’s increase left the composite index at its highest point in nearly three months.
The seven-session stretch of gains and Friday’s 2.5% improvement were presented in The report as a sustained upward move in dry bulk freight costs, driven by widespread advances across the main size bands.
Overall, the latest movement placed the composite index at a new recent peak, underlining a sequence of daily increases that culminated in the 3,186 figure reported on Friday, with the larger size category again singled out as the leading contributor to the advance.