Ship owners have remained in the sidelines of the Sale & Purchasing market for second hand vessels, during most of August, while they also slowed down their newbuilding plans. One could attribute such a development to the summer lull, but this hasn’t been the case this year. Instead, according to shipbrokers, the current slow trend in the market is a result of the recent slump of the dry bulk market. According to shipbroker Golden Destiny, the average value of the Baltic Dry Index was down by 13% this July, compared with June, while the fall, compared to the equivalent month of the past year is 29% (or 327 points).
According to the latest monthly report from the Piraeus-based shipbroker, “the second week of August brought a glimmer of hope, but purchasing interest remained very subdued with potential buyers waiting to see the final direction of the freight market environment from the beginning of September. Bulk carriers have lost their strength with shipping investors slowing their newbuilding plans to record lows for this year of less than 50 newbuilding orders”.
The shipbroker noted in its monthly report that “overall, S&P activity in the secondhand market for July2014 ended at levels of less than 90 vessel sales / purchases, when in July 2013, were at record highs of excess 120. Scrapping activity has showed very weak levels of less than 70 vessel disposals due to sharp downward correction in container volumes, whereas bulk carriers kept almost a steady pace of activity. Despite the decrease of secondhand purchases during July, the first seven months of 2014 ended with 20% year-onyear increase in the average number of weekly reported S&P transactions( 30 vessels from 25 vessels in 2013), and up by 36%, compared with 22 vessel purchases in the first seven months of 2012”.
It added that “in the newbuilding market, the ordering levels remain excessive at 93% higher levels than the volume of secondhand purchases. Newbuilding activity represents 29% higher levels than last year (58 new orders on average reported per week in January-July 2014 compared with 45 in 2013) and up by 132% from 2012 levels. (25 new orders on average reported per week in January-July 2012)”. Meanwhile, in the demolition market, the scrapping appetite of shipping players remains at lower levels than last year with 16 vessel disposals per week, on average, from 18 in 2013 and 2012, Golden Destiny concluded.
In a separate report this week, shipbroker Allied Shipbroking said that over the past few days, activity is finally starting to show signs of recovery. “Pleasantly, charter rates in the dry bulk sector are improving, especially in the Capesize segment, spreading expectations for a stronger/profitable fourth quarter. The soft charter rates that have been preceded, reduced vessel’s asset values which can be ascertained when we compare the sale of NAVIOS TITAN (82936, 2005, Jap) in the region of USD 18 Mill to Greeks, with the sale of the ex-GRAND CHALLENGER (82992, 2006, Jap) for USD 25 Mill during April. On the wet side, China’s government is deciding whether to double up the crude oil imports by smaller and independent refineries. Such decision would contribute to the further expansion of the Chinese import market, while on the other hand would conduce to the easier absorption of the forthcoming –on order- vessels. Talking with tangible facts, it is worth to mention that during last year, the license for those refineries was to import approximately 200 thousand barrels per day, while government is now considering increasing this to 400 thousand barrels per day. In light of the above on the S&P now, it has been reported that clients of Pakistan National Shipping Corp have moved in the Aframax sector purchasing the AMBELOS (105315, 2006, Jap) at USD 33 Mill, which is considered to be in line with the market”, said Allied.
It concluded that “moreover on tanker market, the two largest shipping firms in China, the China Merchants Energy Shipping and Sinotrans, are incorporating in order to set up USD 1,1 Bill VLCC joint venture. CMES will have a 51% stake of the new venture, contributing with assets worth around USD 565 Mill including nine VLCCs, while Sinotrans will be holding the rest 49% with and investment of USD 543.78 Mill in cash”, Allied Shipbroking concluded.
