·             Stock market indices tend to level out on news of hesitant US consumers, following rising unemployment and stalling private property-prices.

·             While the industrial production in China, India and the US rise, it is still lagging in the euro area.  

·             Consumer prices in the US are now rising at a 2.5% annual rate, but the Fed keeps its rate unchanged.

·             Crude oil prices are turning down, as well as bunker oil prices.  

·             Port activity indices for dry bulkers and car carriers firm, but remain unchanged for container carrier and tankers.

·             Dry and wet bulk freight rates decline steeply, while oil product and container freight rates firm.

·             NB-prices and SH-prices for dry bulkers firm, but remain unchanged for tankers.

·             The fall in industrial production continues, but at much lower rates than before, particularly in Japan and the U.S.

·             The unemployment rates keep rising both in the U.S., Euro area and Japan.

·             Crude oil prices are turning down slightly, as well as steel prices.  

·             Inflation rates are firming. Consumer prices increase - by 2% in the U.S. and by 1% in the Euro area.

·             The US dollar has regained some strength versus all other major currencies, but from a low level.

·             Container and tanker freight rates are firming, while dry bulk rates are softening.

·             Tanker SH-prices continue to fall.

·             Both India’s and China’s GDP growth are now at around 9% annual rate.

·             Japan’s industrial production is catching up.

·             U.S. and Euro Area consumer prices rise.

·             Steel prices are turning softer.

·             Coal and grain prices slightly up.

·             Dry Bulk T/C rates slightly down from last month.

·             Other freight rates remain broadly unchanged.

·             Port Activity Indices continue to climb.

·             New vessel orders down from last month.

·             Newbuilding- and SH-prices continue to fall, as well as steel scrap prices.

•  
  • The major OECD economies are heading for positive growth in Q4 (y-o-y)
  • US unemployment rate passed 10%.
  • Consumer prices are no longer falling, and are expected to start rising again.
  • The US dollar loses strength against all other major currencies, except the British Pound.
  • Japanese and European stock market indicators soften, while the US Dow Jones index firms
  • Energy- and non-energy commodity prices rise, as do container, dry and tanker rates.
  • Port activity indexes are markedly stronger.

·           The Chinese and Russian economies both strengthen, the Russian from -10% to -9% and China from +8% to +9%.

·           Industrial production strengthens across the board, the trend particularly obvious in Asian countries.

·           US unemployment rate soon to reach 10%.

·           Consumer prices keep falling, but at a lower rate.

·           The short recovery of the US Dollar appears broken for now.

·           Steel and tanker scrap prices strengthen.

·           Dry bulk and product tanker rates firm while container freight rates soften.

·           Port activity index for container carriers has been falling in the past month, while tankers, bulkers and vehicle carriers have remained fairly steady. Activity index has dropped for all ship types in the past week.

·           Growth in China accelerated in August due to the gains made over the past couple of months, driven by an expansion of government-led domestic demand.

·           Industrial added value growth in China accelerated to 12.3% y/y  in August from 10.8% y/y in July, marking a new record growth rate since October last year.

·           Unemployment rates in Japan, the US and Europe keep rising.

·           The US dollar slide again versus all other major currencies, except for the GBP.

·           Oil and gas prices decline, while steel and scrap prices firm.

·           Tanker, dry bulker and container freight rates keep falling.

·           Newbuilding orders increase from very low levels.

·        The fall in real economy indicators for Japan and the Euro zone no longer accelerates.  Industrial production and GDP growth in China and India keep firming.

·        Stock market indicators are strengthening.

·        The US$ exchange rate is softening against the Euro, yen, GDP and SEK, but firming against the Won.

·        Steel and energy commodity prices rise, while non-energy commodity prices fall.

·        Crude tanker and container carrier market rates keep softening, while product tanker market rates in Baltic-NW European show minor improvements. Large post-peak drops in capsize dry bulk T/C – rates.

·        Bunker prices are firming, while scrap prices continue to fall.

·           Real economy indicators show further weaknesses, except for China, while financial market indicators firm.

·           Oil and other commodity prices are rising. Consumer prices continue to fall.

·           Steel and scrap prices still falling.

·           The US dollar continued to fall versus all other major currencies.

·           Freight rate indicators for crude tankers & dry bulkers show renewed strength, but container and product tanker rates are unchanged

·           Global port activity index falls.

·           3-month average contracting stagnates.

• The Euro zone GDP decline in Q1 still larger than the US decline but the gap is closing.
• Negative consumer price development in the US and Japan, but not in the Euro area.
• Stockmarket rates have generally turned upwards.
• Oil prices continue to firm, while natural gas prices fall as well as major commodity prices.
• Tanker and container freight rates continued to fall in April, while dry bulk T/C rates firmed.
• Newbuilding- and SH-prices continue to fall, but the number of registered closures too few to be presented statistically.

SAI Market Indicators, April 2009. SAI Comments:

• The fall in consumer prices resumed pace last month.
• The US dollar continued strengthening versus other major currencies except for the euro.
• Stock market rates turned upwards in the major OECD economies.
• Freight rates and newbuilding prices softened further in all major shipping segments.
• Tanker scrap prices kept falling.
• Brent oil prices exceeded $50/bbl for the first time this year.
• Prices on all bunker qualities firmed.