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“Unbelievable” Dry Bulk Market Rally is Pushing Ship Values Higher

Prices for second hand bulkers has soared over the past few weeks, in tandem with the rally in the freight rate market. By the 24th of August 2021, the Baltic Dry Index had reached 4,201, a year to date high and the highest since May 2010. In its latest weekly report, shipbroker Intermodal noted that the Cape 5TC daily average stood at 51,472, the Kamsarmax 82 daily average stood at 34,615, the Supramax 58 daily average at 36,774 and the Handysize 38 daily average at 33,981. “If at the beginning of the year 2021, around the period of Chinese Lunar Year, anyone would have predicted that by the middle of August during the peak of Northern Hemisphere summer, the market would have reached the above levels, everybody would laugh”, Intermodal commented.

Source: Intermodal

According to the shipbroker’s SnP Broker, Mr. Costas Hardalis, “by the 4th of February 2021, the sub-Cape market had already spiked; the Panamax index was at 1,629 points and Supramax index at 1,139 points, with the first quarter of 2021 averaging well above Q42020 levels. The Capesize 5TC index averaged $17,054/day down -1.0% compared to Q42020, while the Panamax Tess 82 5TC index averaged $18,201 up +51.0% during the same period. Everyone at that time was surprised with the counter seasonal market rise driven by the smaller sizes, as well as the rise in asset values compared to September 2020 and commented that ships had gotten too expensive. Well, what can we say about the prices of today then? In September 2020 a Panamax bc blt 2006 MV ELENA II with surveys due in q1 2021 had been concluded at low 8s. For comparison, in February MV AJAX got usd low 10s with surveys due promptly. As of the end of July, the 2007 blt MV CANEA got sold at rgn usd 17.7m”.

Hardalis added that “we see similar asset value increases also in 2012 blt units with MV CORAL AMBER 78k dwt BWTS fttd getting mid-high 14s in December and sister ship CORAL AMETHYST without BWTS getting as usd 16/low 16s by the end of January. As of end of June, an exact sister ship 2013blt MV KAGARA got sold at usd 22m and a 2014blt MV ORIENT GENESIS at 23m. Today these 2 ships would expect to get more”.

Source: Intermodal

Meanwhile, according to Intermodal’s analyst, “for younger tonnage with an electronic engine built in Japan, we have not seen much activity, last concluded sale being in May, MV IOANNA L built 2017 Tsunesishi Zhoushan at about 29m, but clearly at same levels a potential buyer cannot do repeat deal and generally the supply of such modern ships in the market has been limited for some time amid sellers holding for much better numbers and/or taking advantage of the lucrative daily earnings. Even for the older units of about 20 years of age, owners now asking levels of about usd 12m or more for 2000/2001blt vessels. The calculations shipowners are making on such vessels is quite simple: They factor in how much the ship will earn basis today’s rates for one year i.e. about USD 7,5m then they add on top the demo value, about USD 5m. So the price comes in excess of USD12m. Similar asset value levels were observed in mid-2010, however it could also be a De Ja Vu of the year 2004, at the beginning of the previous boom, when 20 years old Panamaxes were fetching similar prices. Let’s see how long the current boom will last. We all hope that It will last for long”, Hardalis concluded.
Nikos Roussanoglou, Hellenic Shipping News Worldwide

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