Aframaxes: Up and Down, But Don’t Count Them Out

The past few weeks have proven to be a wild ride for the Aframax sector. Although freight rates are falling precipitously, recent volatility suggests that this market may still have a heartbeat yet. For the majority of the past few years, spot Aframax time charter equivalents (TCEs) have bumbled along at lackluster levels save for the occasional rate spike here or there. In addition, waning demand on stalwart trades, such as the Caribbean to US Gulf, have called into question broader fundamentals for this tanker sector. While the recent run-up in spot market rates may ultimately prove to be short-lived, it brings to light a tanker asset class that has been largely overshadowed by its bigger sisters in recent years. Download here