News that the Baltic Dry Index is sunk as an economic indicator is much exaggerated.
The index—which measures the cost to haul dry freight over the world's oceans—has merely run aground after getting hit with a shipping-market tsunami. Don't worry. It will right itself soon enough–and should once again become a useful forecasting tool, as early as the end of the year.
The cost of shipping dry commodities, such as coal, iron ore and grains, forms the basis for the BDI. When more raw materials are shipped, it is because they are needed to be made into finished products. Also, when more of them are shipped, the price of chartering a vessel increases. That makes the index a gauge of industrial expansion. Link to Barrons.com
No comments:
Post a Comment