Baltic Dry Plunges By Over 8% Overnight, Most Since 2008

It has been a while since we looked at the Baltic Dry Index, which when normalizing for the excess glut in dry container ship supply (such as right now – 5 years after all the excess supply in the industry – has long been normalized), continues to be one of the best concurrent indicators of global shipping and trade. We look at it today, moments ago it just posted an epic 8.2% plunge, crashing from 900 to 826, or the biggest drop since 2008! Of course, conisdering the collapse in global trade confirmed in past days by both Chinese and US data, this should not come as a surprise, although we are certain it will merely bring out the BDIY apologists who tell us that supply and demand here (like in every other Fed-supported market) are completely uncorrelated.

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The Baltic Dry is perhaps the best indicator of where the economy is headed.  Funny how it does this on 12-12-12 too.  Of course the guys on TV will tell you it means nothing..  if they tell you about it at all. ~Ophelia