does anyone know where I can get 5 years of history on the BDI?

i want the raw data, not a graph...as I want to graph it myself in Excel.

on-line here I can just get 1 year history.

If you are a Bloomberg subscriber you should be able to access it on the terminal.

Barry you are right that finance still exists for the right deals. Most probbably bankers will be a bit more conservative, lending a smaller percentage of the total acquisition price. If in the past, 60-70% financing was in line, now we may see a smaller percentage. With today's asaset prices being so low, banks that may be willing to finance 50% or so, may be taking a smaller risk than before.

it will be interesting to see how this pans out. Next week, at the Capital Link Shipping Conference there is a banking panel and we will see how baners are reacting to tday's crisis and what may be on the road ahead.

In any case, bank financing even if it is available, there will be less of it and at a higher cost, reflecting tcurrent market conditions. So, listed companies, with a lifeline to the capital markets may hacve an edge, as they may be raising capital either to pay down debt or to take advantage of the acquisition opportunities. But there again, we need to see how it will pan out, as overall, valuations are low.