After 28 eight days of the Baltic Dry Index declining, we have had 2 consective days of gains, including Wednesday’s rally of almost 5%. With the 4th quarter looming, has this come to life in anticipation of an end to the bull market and the resumption of global economic growth? Channel checks show that demand remains quite strong across a wide spectrum of shippers, fueled by the anticipation of renewed Chinese stockpiling after the Olympics end. In addition, a recent estimate of the tab to rebuild the spring earthquake damage was $170 billion – to be completed by 2010. We put this out via press release this morning, so I thought I'd post it here, fyi: Delta Global Indices Introduces Global Shipping Index Delta Global Shipping Index to Track 30 Global Maritime Shipping Companies with Combined Market Cap near $50 Billion and an expected dividend yield of approximately 8.25% The portfolio is now 5.17% up from the 4.42 % gain registered as of Friday's close. Not bad considering the DJIA is 160 points lower over the last couple of days and amidst today's tumultuous trading. A higher PPI, record crude oil, and another banking sector downgrade from Meredith Whitney could have been enough to knock down the broader market, but most of the stocks in the trading portfolio have weathered the storm quite well. Here is the updated portfolio as of today's close:     I wrote a piece on here on Green Faucet last Thursday entitled, "Getting Aboard Noah's Arc with Commodity Trades," where I highlighted one of the many trading strategies I intend to use when my Global MegaTrends Portfolio becomes available to the public later this month.  I am happy to report that Noah's Arc looked like a Carnival Cruise Line last week! The rise in value of commodities positions is old news by now. Most investors have been able to read the writing on the wall, even if much of it today is in hanzi (Chinese characters). But it isn't all about the commodities themselves...a commodity isn't worth much unless it can be moved from the source to the end user, and that's why transportation costs are regaining respect as a component of commodities' value. As raw materials and finished products take to the water in record quantities, the reasonable consequence should be a rise in shipping stock values. The market is incorrectly interpreting the Fed's post-rate cut statement as hawkish.  This presents an opportunity to take advantage of some opportunities over the summer months, if not sooner. As we touch an $850/oz. gold price level, we need to begin to nibble in gold positions.  Kinross (KGC), shown below, should bounce off of its 200-day moving average and I am adding it to my recommended portfolio.    I'm glad to see CNBC this morning covering the Trim Tabs report regarding where this economy stands at the moment.  They're picking up a story that I believe was first reported over at MarketWatch by Mark Hulbert, one which stands as the most compelling article of the year thus far, in my opinion.  In it, Hulbert discussed a report from the investment research firm Trim Tabs, which had some things to say about the economy that most investors would find surpris If the thought of well-filled container ships pulling into ports around the globe doesn't get your blood stirring, maybe it should. Continuing a pattern of growth with double-digit annual gains, container shipping may be the most stable sector in the shipping arena.  And that's something to get excited about. One of the strongest groups we follow has been the shipping stocks. They have gotten beaten up enough lately that investors are asking themselves: has their run ended? OK, so the ETF based on our index launched on Monday and it is seeing some nice trading given the low-volume nature of this pre-holiday week.  As a follow-up, I just wanted to pass along a few links related to it (so thanks for indulding me!): Bell Ringing