John Faraclas – picture credits Kenny Hickey
The BDI (Baltic Dry Index) fell substantially from what one proportionally can calculate – do please the analysis and see the fall percentage-wise as well as historically-wise… Triple-digit losses the name of the game… The Geopolitical issues “re-surfaced” once again in Davos and we are warning you for Armageddon’s coming. John Faraclas’ daily and weekly recap:
The BDI lost 34 points earlier on today and 207 since last week (18/1) when it stood at 1,112 points. Will the Chinese New Year in ten days’ time signal the return to better days? Can this be done so that we witness the BDI’s 2,000 point-threshold being conquered? Will the Japanese trading houses do the trick? AND, can we expect any trick from any side of the equation to produce and enable all of us to see better days on Planet Ocean given the US$250 Trillion global debt? I leave this to the gurus, analysts, mega brokers as well as to the “supportive” media, who unfortunately support the wrong side of the markets, to tell us.
The Capes’ BCI – the most “heretic” so to speak size… clinched four points and now stands at 1,730; on a weekly basis though the BCI lost 307 points, losing the 2,000 base when it stood at 2,037 points. CAUTION!
Major losses for the Panamaxes too; the BPI lost today 80 points as well as the 800 base… and now reads 748; the weekly losses produced another triple-digit loss: 270 points were wiped-off – down from 1,018 points. Heavy losses eh! The 1,000 to 800 thresholds fell…
The Supras’ BSI was down 31 points, now standing at 576 points but there were triple-digit losses on a weekly basis: 125 points down from 701!
Bad news even for the …handy Handies’ BHSI; the daily losses of 14 points brought them down to 395 points – a very worrying level given the loss of the 400 point-threshold; last week the BHSI stood at 451 points – down 56!
Expect further losses by Monday… as things are getting sour… The Dry Market Dries out… Lets hope though it doesn’t…
The Wets as always with mixed feelings; the last published BDTI (Dirties) and BCTI (Cleans) stood at 875 and 668 – plus nine and steady…the same for the Cleans per yesterday’s closing respectively. On a weekly basis though the Dirties fell 16 points – from 891 (18/1) and the Cleans gained, hooray hooray, three points – from 665! We might see a stable situation, even with a slight upwards trend on Monday, but…
The WTI stands close to US$53.50 – last week it ended up at US$54.04. We continue to advise restrain with the Oil prices, be it WTI or Brent. At worse, at the end of the day, both should be under the US$50 mark, otherwise expect the mega oil mayhem with incalculable repercussions for all!
On the Geopolitical front now:
The MIGRANTS continue to be the most important issue and lately same has become one of the three main topics in the USA with president Trump’s Wall with Mexico making waves… Let’s see on Monday how things stand…amid too many other issues there: shutdown, court hearings, Venezuela building up, the lot…
In this side of Planet Ocean – in “UK / Continent / Med” to use a t/c (time charter) shipbrokers’ wording, things continue to deteriorate:
The MIGRANTS causing chaos and threaten the social cohesion in almost all countries, mainly of the European Union where, surprise surprise, there isn’t any coherent policy in place whatsoever… Still antagonisms of the Great Powers even to this issue. Shame for the culprits of Brussels. The Great Migration takes place now! Brace for despicable mess with incalculable repercussions for all involved. We have numerous times expressed our view on having a total Naval Blockade with a Mandate and Rules of Engagement from Agadir in Morocco to the delta of Evros River in Greece. It goes without saying that same can be done given the Operation Atalanta in East Africa – Somalia in particular and its adjacent countries, to ensure that Piracy incidents disappear… No other way or method can deter the MIGRANTS and their traffickers and all involved including policies of various nations to destroy Europe; end of the story! To this effect president Trump is absolutely right to erect the Wall…
The Wars in Syria and Iraq continue and the mess “underneath everybody” – as the media are controlled and few basic news come out, is incalculable. The Confrontation of Western Powers with Putin’s Russia there is monumental… save the under the table agreements as well as the package to rebuilt war torn Syria… Add the Turkish bullying and in general the entire situation in the Middle East and take cover of what is yet to come…
The East Med too with Cyprus’ oil and gas explorations, Israel, Egypt and Greece is too dodgy; CAUTION.
The Balkans, the tinderbox of Europe, about to explode and make the Syrian, Iraqi and the entire Middle East platoon look like a kindergarten…
We didn’t mentioned yesterday the infamous, in our humble view “pact” between Greece and fYroM with respect to the name of this state in the north central part of Greece given the name Republic of North Macedonia with whatever this entails as we really got very upset with all involved. A “deal” under duress… Come on guys and dolls: nobody is stupid! Shame. Time will tell even if it’s late – corrections do “take” place. The opposition also and its leader must be careful on what he says and promises. Tragedies are a product of Greece, never forget this!
The Russian intrusion in a few remaining non-NATO and EU states is evident involving even religion. What’s up with Serbia then? Even the orthodox Church of Serbia with its Archbishop has issues and expresses a dislike and discontent with the Ecumenical Patriarch in Constantinople… on the Ukrainian Orthodox Church issue… Turkey stir ups the Balkans ever since the War in former Yugoslavia begun and let’s wait and see the aftermath of the new Armageddon in this part of the World. Mind me, this region includes all together four of Planet Ocean’s dire straits which greatly can affect shipping – the shipping lanes: Suez, Bosphorus, Otranto and Kerch. Imagine what can happen with hostilities soon… And how China, whose locomotive is slowing down, can make it cheaply into Europe and its markets with the region in flames… the New Silk Road acting also as an alternative to the shipping lanes, is in my view: a failure!
Ah … a bit north-west from the Balkans the Davos become at the end of the day a great farce. Regret once again but you guys and dolls you spoiled the broth. OK, fine you switched to the environmental issues… Can David Attenborough do the trick? Wrecks are known, but salvage operations too can save them of being and or becoming a CTL (Constructive Total Loss)… How was the progress on the Trade Wars? How people see the BREXIT mess… and its triptych? Can we control (I mean the West) China? Pity president Trump abstained from Davos… I guess Mrs. May play it away as other leaders too… Bolsonaro of Brazil was very quite… Anyway: Davos’ World Economic Forum was a total failure for Planet Ocean and its leaders – including the economists and gurus, murus and all that jazz given that the Debt of Planet Ocean is US$ 250 trillion. Any objection? Time for many gliteratti to shut-up and perform well and save the Planet from all issues. Can we expect such a change and chance?
Just recently French and Germans signed another historic so to say agreement in Aachen…
Salvini of Italy blames the French for nasty behaviour in Africa…
Off again to the other side of the Atlantic, a bit south were in Venezuela things are getting sour… expect mess… We have in our recent coverage but also in the days of Hugo Chavez when Maria Dixon gave us a very pragmatic account on what was coming up but also from other friends in London and Athens being Venezuelan expats…
In the Pacific, as we have recently advised you, China is beginning to create issues with Taiwan: CAUTION! Japan is on all counts in a stand-by situation/mode. Await the final outcome with North Korea. Nothing has as yet being finalised there…
In Africa, what an election that was in the Democratic Republic of Congo, eh! Tshisekedi and Fayulu crossed their swords, but Tshisekedi won…
The S letter runs the show now: slowdown, shutdown… and shut-up !!!
I guess you have enough to think of this weekend and brace for the news on Monday 28th of January… CAUTION! There are so many issues, but these alone above can prepare you for developments to come; and lets end this despicable cyber attacks harming us all and mainly the sinking insurance and reinsurance markets… AH! And lets control the oil prices…
A full house!
On another tone and note at the basement of her Gallery Maria Antypa hosted the annual Vassilopitta-cutting event for the Ionian Society. The international acclaimed gallerist managed to surpass any previous charitable event of its kind.
A full house, nearly 100 guests at the basement of her Gallery at Walton Street – first time downstairs, enjoyed the drinks and dips as well as the Vassilopitta and afterwards there was dancing with Greek Traditional songs as well as rebetika and Maria did dance proving her will after her latest accident! The musicians were a woooow! Well done!
Traditional Greek dancing
Good to see quite a few from the Ionian Society faithful and other Greek and international friends – some had travelled even from Greece.
Margarita Mavromichalis, the world acclaimed photographer, the Greek Military Attache Captain (HN) Polychronis Koulouris and his wife, the former Military Attache in London and now a Commodore (HN) Apostolos Trivlides were there too.
l to r: Elisavet Georgiadou and Margarita Mavromichalis
Captain Michael Kounoupas and his wife Anne, Grace Fotopoulou, Kaity Apostolou and her son, Lefki Papacharalampous, Makis Peppas – on a great day with Eleni Malatou, Elisavet Georgiadou, Anastasia Savvidou, Megakles Rogakos, Katerina Jeffreys and after many years HRH Prince Shwebomin of Burma and many many others.
Await to see who has won the sovereign…
The proceeds from this event go to the Cathedral of St. Spyridon in Piraeus, Greece which feeds 150 families daily!
Grace Fotopoulou, Lefki Papacharalampous, Anne Kounoupas and Commodore (HN) Apostolos Trivlides
Many Congratulations once again to Maria Antypas and her team of the Ionian Society and that from her gallery in making the evening unique!
Coming up – the countdown has begun for the 24th Anniversary Dinner dance of the HESBG (Hellenic Engineers Society of Great Britain), the premier event of the London-Greek shipping calendar on the 23rd of February. Interested viewers can log on www.hesgb.com buy their tickets and advertise.
Meantime don’t forget another special event, a continuation and part of the #TextMr_PaperFashion which we witnessed on the 15th of January at London’s Hellenic Centre. The event promises to be also an extraordinary one; titled “Paper Dress: Future of History?” Free entrance but booking essential. www.helleniccentre.org
Enjoy the weekend wherever you are on Planet Ocean but remain on guard from actions emanating from Pirates, Terrorists, Criminals and Business Hooligans!
