The secondhand shipping market swung decisively towards tankers in October, even as overall transaction volumes remained largely unchanged.

A report published by reports on 11 November 2026 records that 168 vessels changed hands in October, a total unchanged year on year and 2% above September.

Within that activity there was a marked rotation in segment demand: tanker sales rose 61% to 82 vessels, while dry bulk sales fell 30.5% to 57.

Tankers therefore accounted for 49% of all transactions in October, compared with 34% in the earlier comparative figure cited in the report.

The divergence between tanker and dry bulk activity points to a temporary reweighting of buyer interest rather than a broad change in market turnover, given the overall volume held steady year on year.

Market composition and recorded volumes

The headline totals underline a market in which a single segment dominated transactions. The report’s figures show a total of 168 sales, of which 82 were tankers and 57 were dry bulk vessels.

  • Total secondhand sales: 168 vessels.
  • Tanker sales: 82 vessels, up 61% month on month in the report.
  • Dry bulk sales: 57 vessels, down 30.5% in the same period.
  • Overall activity: unchanged year on year and 2% above the prior month.

Month-on-month and year-on-year perspective

October’s 2% rise on September sits against an unchanged year-on-year total, indicating that the uplift in tanker purchases was offset elsewhere in the market. The 61% increase in tanker transactions directly contrasts with the 30.5% contraction recorded in dry bulk sales for the month.

These relative movements shifted the mix of purchases so that nearly half of all recorded deals in October were tanker sales, a notable concentration for a single month.

The report itself frames the month as a clear shift towards tankers. That characterisation is supported by the numerical swing in segment share, even though aggregate turnover did not register sustained growth relative to the previous year.

Buyers and sellers may view the October pattern as a reallocation of capital between segments rather than as evidence of a wholesale change in appetite across the secondhand market. The statistics supplied point to concentrated interest in tanker tonnage during the month, while activity in the dry bulk sector eased materially.

Taken together, the data published on 11 November 2026 by reports show a market that retained overall volume but altered its internal balance of demand. Market participants tracking sectoral flows will likely treat the October figures as a short-term signal rather than conclusive proof of a structural shift.

The coming months’ transaction records will determine whether tankers maintain a dominant share or whether the dry bulk segment rebounds to restore balance to the secondhand market.