Remember the dry bulk shipping ‘super cycle’ in 2007 – 2008 when industry players believed the market had fundamentally changed?

The stars have indeed aligned for Star Bulk, as it reports a $124.2m Q2 profit and is upbeat on dry bulk shipping market prospects.

NYSE-listed containership owner Costamare Inc has purchased of 16 ships in a transformational deal that sees the company putting some of its mounting cash balance into expanding into dry bulk carriers.

Asia-based executives are upbeat on the prospects for dry bulk with strong demand in the region, although there are some notes of caution of uncertainty due to the continued Covid-19 pandemic.

Dry bulk shipping looks set to face a challenging year ahead despite having enjoyed an “unseasonably robust start” to 2021, according to Bimco.

A normally quiet time of the year for dry bulk shipping is seeing increased activity backed by slowing net fleet growth, signalling positive near-term earnings for the market, according to consultancy firm MSI.

Nasdaq-listed Eagle Bulk Shipping has announced the acquisition of three secondhand supramax bulk carriers for a total of $21.15m and using 329,583 common shares of the company.

Denmark’s Lauritzen Bulkers will open a new office in Hong Kong in a move to improve its connectivity with customers in the Asia region.

Trading volumes in the freight derivatives markets for both tankers and dry cargo vessels saw an increase in 2020, according to data by the Baltic Exchange.

China’s SPDB Financial Leasing has placed an order at Cosco Shipping Heavy Industry for the construction of six 82,000 dwt bulk carriers.