Sentiment has deteriorated visibly among bulker owners, charterers and financiers, but it's still upbeat enough for players to be predicting another good year.
Doric Shipbrokers, an Athens bulker specialist that has asked "friends and clients" about their views of the market since 2017, has seen them somewhat less bullish lately.
Just a quarter of the 80 respondents Doric polled between 3 and 14 January declared themselves outright "optimistic" about dry bulk's prospects over the next 12 months, down from 40% last year.
