Feb 9 (Reuters) - The Baltic Exchange's main sea freight
index , tracking rates for ships carrying dry bulk
commodities, fell on Thursday, as gains in the panamax segment
were countered by a decline in capesize rates.
* The overall index, which factors in rates for capesize,
panamax and supramax shipping vessels, fell 11 points, or 1.8%,
to 592.
* The capesize index lost 22 points, or 4.6%, to
mark its worst day in a week at 452.
* Average daily earnings for capesizes , which
typically transport 150,000-tonne cargoes such as iron ore and
coal, decreased $175 to $3,752.
* The capesize market is extremely quiet as activity in both
Atlantic and Pacific basins has slowed down dramatically,
according to shipbroker Fearnleys' weekly note.
* "It's hard to see rates going further south, but with more
available tonnage building up we don't see a massive uptick
overnight."
* The panamax index climbed 5 points, or 0.6%, to
861, snapping its seven-session losing streak.
* Average daily earnings for panamaxes , which
usually carry coal or grain cargoes of about 60,000 to 70,000
tonnes, increased $41 to $7,745.
* The supramax index fell 15 points to 636.
* Meanwhile, iron ore futures rose on Thursday, with the
Dalian benchmark hitting a one-week high after two days of
declines, as sentiment turned upbeat ahead of the release of
Chinese lending data, a key indicator of support for economic
growth. (Reporting by Ananya Bajpai in Bengaluru; Editing by Shilpi
Majumdar)
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