"EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE" VS FFA'S"

                                       "EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE" VS FFA'S"
           (IDBMFI) INTERNATIONAL DRY BULK MUTUAL FREIGHT INDEX

Under the prevailing adversities (tonnage over capacity, world trade and economy in crisis, instability and political upheaval) one has to observe more carefully, to think and base his DECISIONS EMPIRICALLY and NOT ON OPINIONS AND BIAS.
To succeed, one has to re adjust his ‘ideas’ in changes quickly, by constant updating, renewing, re thinking, ANALYTICALLY, prior a decision is made. The rules of the game have changed. 
Taking the analytical process is, too often, time consuming but the result is worthwhile the effort, like anything which adds value to your company and your personal ‘assets’ or resources.

There are no quick fixes to succeed, especially in adverse business environments, like the one we are experiencing today!

In good, prosperous freight markets it is easy almost for anyone to make easy money and incur profits. A bad decision is easily forgotten and any losses derived from it are set off by the next voyage’s profitable income returns.
Having said that, as an example, to compare with a highly competitive market, where one bad decision might result in great losses, weakening the company’s cash flow stability and survival.
To make the right decisions one has to be prepared to run the extra mile and get what is required through private research and empirical evidence; otherwise he is risking making bad decisions and being surpassed by his competitors and fail.

EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE is where we, here at S.T.I.C, base our work and decisions, ONLY.
EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE is what we provide to our loyal shipowners clientele.
EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE is what we seek to acquire and require in our researches and observations.
S.T.I.C builds a reliable MUTUAL SOURCE OF EMPIRICAL INFORMATION. The (IDBMFI) INTERNATIONAL DRY BULK MUTUAL FREIGHT INDEX which is not based on bias or opinions but on empirical evidence (cp fixtures) harvested weekly, from the International spot freight market. S.T.I.C information data is not influenced by the paper market of Freight Forward Agreements (Derivatives market) or on expectations.

For more information and how to co participate send your messages at; consultancy@eshipownerstrust.com and we will guide you accordingly.

S.T.I.C
Shipowners Trust International Corporation.
Tel; +30 210 4529500
Fax; +30 210 4529505

 

'STIC'S ARTICLES PURPOSE'

                       'STIC'S ARTICLES PURPOSE’.
              by  S.T.I.C - Promotion & Marketing Dept.

We would hereby like to thank you all for subscribing to our articles and your encouraging and kind messages.
In fact, the articles are distributed to all of our lists and have been welcomed and read by most of you, despite their length, which sometimes is rather long, depending the subject. In view of the sheer number of messages we all receive daily we will try to keep the articles
length short for your easier and quickest reading.
For the new readers we here by outline briefly the purpose of our articles which, most of the times, are written by the President and founder of our organisation; Mr. A. Maraslis who's experience in Shipping goes back to the early '80's and his articles have been pubished in many local
and international magazines and news papers.

STIC’S ARTICLES PURPOSE;
a) To bring forth market transparency.
b) To reveal and confine false or manipulating and mischievous information/data and their sources.
c) To fight ignorance and bias.
d) To re establish full trust amongst industry professionals, competing ethically - and unrestrained- 
     serving the world trade and the global sea transports effectively and efficiently.
e) To provide useful and practical ideas and tested empirical information.
f)  To Organize empirical data to a practical - market useful - impartial source of information.
>S  -  Seeks Transparency.
>T -  Takes Responsibility.
>I  -  Inspires.
>C -  Communicates.
In case you wish to add you or add a new e mail address to our lists please advise by return. In case you wish to be deleted from our articles please reply by stating in the subject; ARTICLES-UNSUBSCRIBE and the e mail address you wish us to delete.
Sincerely yours,
S.T.I.C
Promotion & Marketing Department.
SHIPOWNERS TRUST INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION
                                 S.T.I.C
                     Shipping & Trading
SHIP OPERATION/MANAGEMENT/CHARTERING /S&P / TRADING.

www.eshipownerstrust.com
chartering@eshipownerstrust.com     (Chartering Dept.)Operations@eshipownerstrust.com   (Operations Dept.)dry@eshipownerstrust.com                (Trading Dept.)SnP@eshipownerstrust.com               (Sale & Purchase/Demolition)info@eshipownerstrust.com               (General/Admin.Dept.)

'CARGO IS THE VARIABLE'

                                                           'CARGO IS THE VARIABLE'
                                                                  by Mr. Anastasios Maraslis
                                                                     S.T.I.C /President/Director

We are all experiencing, quite often, business/fixtures faltering due to cargo readiness and chrts’ failure to lift the subjs.
This is rather frustrating, for all, and not cost effective either, as a great deal of working hours have been spent, by all parties concerned, without producing the anticipated outcome, at the end of the day.
In sea transportations service, especially these days, the only steady and reliable datum is the vessel, as she has a position, physically, and can be monitored, even via satellites. There is no doubt about a vessel’s physical position.
A cargo, on the other hand, is a variable which is subject of questioning, if such cargo is ready at port to be loaded, or whether it is still subject of a sales contract negotiations, which, depending the incoterms, the exporters or importers are checking the transportation’s costs/freight in the market via their brokers. In which case, the cargo is not firm, yet, and thus it is possible the sales contract
to fail, for various reasons.  In the first case, cargo can be traced, via loading port agents and shippers. In the second case though cargo simply is nothing else but an idea, a business/trading deal under discussions and its anticipated to succeed or fail. Owners and brokers alike
would rather to know, before they decide to enter into such  ‘venture' -availing their time and efforts- if this cargo is a sold cargo or not, or, if sold, a corresponding letter of credit has been issued, by the buyer’s bank.
We live in communications era, thus, any such information should and could be verified within few minutes or an hour, simply by asking the right questions to the right people, avoiding thus frustration, waste of time and money by identifying and securing the variable....the cargo!
Thanking you kindly for your encouraging messages and co operation so far!
Sincerely yours,
S.T.I.C
Anastasios Maraslis
President/Director.
SHIPOWNERS TRUST INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION
                              S.T.I.C
                     Shipping & Trading
SHIP OPERATION/MANAGEMENT/CHARTERING /S&P / TRADING.
www.eshipownerstrust.com
chartering@eshipownerstrust.com     (Chartering Dept.)Operations@eshipownerstrust.com   (Operations Dept.)dry@eshipownerstrust.com                (Trading Dept.)SnP@eshipownerstrust.com               Sale & Purchase/Demolition)info@eshipownerstrust.com               (General/Admin.Dept.)

        ‘ THE FREIGHT PHYSICAL MARKET VERSUS THE PAPER MARKET ’

                                                 By Anastasios Maraslis
                                      S.T.I.C /President/Director

Shipping business is cyclical, with periodic overcapacity, where the freight rates reflect the supply-demand balance.

The understanding of Shipping business particularities make it necessary to work collaboratively to achieve success by transfering knowledge and 'tangible' experience on a wide variety of shipping 'areas' of common interests.

One of which, is the current prevailing freight -existing- rates available for numerous shipping routes, type of cargoes, type of vessels and sizes!

Although the current freight 'PHYSICAL MARKET' is very low, within the next 8-10 years the emerging economies will contribute an outsized share of the world GDP growth. Overall the global economy is expected to expand at a 3.6 percent annual rate over the longer term, resulting in world GDP swelling to $90 trillion by 2020! That is 40 percent larger than what it is today.

Have you planned for these developments ahead and how?

One way to plan is through STRATEGIC ALLIANCES which is required now more than ever before and the creation a functional mode which will establish and promote THE FREIGHT MARKET TRANSPARENCY which has to be our main concern before the 'PAPER MARKET' overtakes in its entirety the PHYSICAL FREIGHT MARKET and drives it to complete chaos and ruins! In which case SHIPBROKERS EXISTANCE in the market will be at great risk, threatened to be REPLACED BY 'PAPER' TRADERS' and MEGA TRADING COMPANIES.

To remain indifferent in such a threat is not the solution and any good professional has to think it seriously and act now, before is too late.

The reluctance of banks to provide capital funds, the rise of shipping debt and the sharp fall of freight rates motivated stock - money market practitioners, stock , bond and CDO's traders to use the DERIVATIVES financial instruments for taking advantage the openning/opportunity given in the ONLY LEFT HEALTHY INDUSTRY, creating a parallel 'PAPER MARKET' with the purpose to speculate and profiteering based on caused SENTIMENTS and controlling OPINIONS by spreading ambiguous and non clear information among us, using various sources, ways and means.

To make the right decisions one has to be prepared to run the extra mile and get what is required through private research and empirical evidence; otherwise he is risking failure, making wrong decisions based EFFORTLESSLY on OTHER PEOPLE OPINIONS OR BIAS.

RELYING YOUR DECISIONS POWER ON OPINIONS OR ON REPORTS ONLY (MOST OF THEM BASE ITS INFORMATION ON THE PAPER MARKET EXPECTATIONS) IS NOT PRODUCTIVE AT ALL.

-EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE is where we, here at S.T.I.C, base our work and decisions, ONLY.

-EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE FROM THE PHYSICAL FREIGHT MARKET is what we provide to our loyal clientele and close supporting associates.

-EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE is what we seek in our research and observations.

-YOUR EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE is invited to be shared with OURS and OTHERS in an  
 ASSOCIATION for complimenting and updating the NEW, INDEPENDENT and RELIABLE












 MUTUAL SOURCE OF EMPIRICAL INFORMATION - THE IDBFIA!

-THE (IDBFIA) INTERNATIONAL DRY BULK FREIGHT INDEX ASSOCIATION is not based on bias or opinions but STRICTLY on EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE (cp fixts/fixture notes/recaps) harvested DAILY, from the International spot freight market, by associated brokers,owners and charterers .

-The IDBFIA is open ONLY to its ASSOCIATED MEMBERS, AS A MUTUAL POOL OF INFORMATION.

A critical part of enhancing the future planning process of our clientele is improving their overall decision-making capabilities.

Left unchecked, subconscious biases such as excessive optimism ('dictated' mainly by false unchecked data/info, or even influenced by so called 'authorities' which usually, if not always, undermine a manager’s routine or strategic decision-making capabilities.

-We, at S.T.I.C provide our exclusive or semi exclusive clientele with a decision making analysis and a perspective on - and a way to mitigate the

impact of - the biases that are often inherent in our clients’ decision - making processes.

-S.T.I.C’s information harvesting is resulted directly from the shipping PHYSICAL ‘battlefield’ through daily hard work and high standards technology

applied by our dedicated company’s executives in THE PHYSICAL FREIGHT MARKET by analysis and strategic planning.

Please share your thoughts, ideas, empirical evidence with us to co grow the IDBFIA for YOUR ‘peace of mind’, ‘confidence of what are the prevailing rates at each time’, ‘control of your work’,‘work is more enjoyable’, ‘better budget control and profitability’, ‘save time/less hustle’, ‘being cause’ and CONTRIBUTE TO THE SHIPRBOKER'S PROFESSION SURVIVAL..

Sincerely yours,

S.T.I.C
Anastasios Maraslis
President/Director.
P.S You may recirculate, forward or print.

SHIPOWNERS TRUST INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION
                              S.T.I.C
                     Shipping & Trading
SHIP OPERATION/CHARTERING /S&P / TRADING.
                  www.eshipownerstrust.com

chartering@eshipownerstrust.com   (Chartering Dept.)
Operations@eshipownerstrust.com  (Operations Dept.)
Dry@eshipownerstrust.com             (S&P/TRADING Dept.)
info@eshipownerstrust.com            (General/Admin.Dept.)
consultancy@eshipownerstrust.com (Consultancy Services)

‘Decisions - Your Ruin or Your Prosperity? - ’

                   By Anastasios Maraslis

                        President/Director

　

Running a shipping company is difficult, especially in times of crisis.

Shipping can be very profitable. However, the business is cyclical, with periodic overcapacity, where the freight rates competition is cutting throat.

Over the long term, many companies cover their cost of capital but hardly earn a profit.

Our deep understanding of Shipping business, allows us to work collaboratively to achieve success and transfer knowledge on a wide variety of large, complex performance improvement initiatives.

In the next 8-10 years emerging economies will contribute an outsized share of the world GDP growth.

Although we will continue to see economic turbulences, overall the global economy is expected to expand at a 3.6 percent annual rate over the longer term, resulting in world GDP swelling to $90 trillion by 2020. That is 40 percent larger than it is today.

Have you planned for these developments ahead?

Straregic alliances is required now more than ever before!

　

S.T.I.C - COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGES

- Here, at S.T.I.C we understand the unique environment of shipping industry
  and its cyclicality.

- S.T.I.C is the optimum choice for clients seeking to achieve results, why we
  enable this success of organizational transformation through collaboration
- by working side by side with our clients - sharing accountability, transferring
  knowledge, ‘tangible’ information and helping transform the culture to
  embrace and sustain lasting change by diagnosing and eliminating weaknesses
  and non productive ‘working habits’.

-A critical part of enhancing the planning process of our clientele is improving
 their overall decision-making capabilities. Left unchecked, subconscious biases
 such as excessive optimism ('dictated' mainly by false unchecked data/info, or
 even influenced by so called 'authorities' and self imposing ‘big names’ - )
 which usually, if not always, undermine a manager’s routine or strategic
 decision-making capabilities.

-We, at S.T.I.C provide our exclusive or semi exclusive clientele with a decision
 making analysis and a perspective on - and a way to mitigate the impact of -
 the biases that are often inherent in our clients’ decision - making processes.

-S.T.I.C’s information harvesting is resulted directly from the shipping ‘battlefield’ through daily hard work and high standards technology applied by our dedicated company’s executives in market analysis and strategic planning.

S.T.I.C's crew is sailing towards new horizons by making new alliances, adding value to its clientele and shaping the future TODAY!

Sincerely yours,

S.T.I.C
Anastasios Maraslis
President/Director.

SHIPOWNERS TRUST INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION

                              S.T.I.C

                       Shipping & Trading

SHIP OPERATION/CHARTERING /S&P / TRADING.

S.T.I.C BUILDING - 3, VOUDOURI STR.,- PIRAEUS 185 37 -GREECE.

+30 210 4529500 (TEL), +30 210 4529505 (FAX) 30 6943 108283 MOBILE/Mrs.
+Sapfo. / 30 6945 590744 MOBILE/Capt.Andreas/ MSN:
+Capt.Andreas_S.T.I.C@hotmail.com
MSN/ sapfo_m@hotmail.gr /MSN/ Mrs. Sapfo Maraslis s.t.i.c.chartering-operations (SKYPE) www.eshipownerstrust.com

chartering@eshipownerstrust.com (Chartering Dept.)

Operations@eshipownerstrust.com (Operations Dept.)

Dry@eshipownerstrust.com (S&P/TRADING Dept.)

info@eshipownerstrust.com (General/Admin.Dept.)

'CRISIS OR OPPORTUNITY?' - A QUESTION SHAPING YOUR FUTURE.

Dear friends,colleagues and associates ,

RE: 'CRISIS OR OPPORTUNITY?' - A QUESTION SHAPING YOUR FUTURE.

You are also, most possibly, experiencing these days the world wide economic depression, the oversupply of tonnage and the prevailing soft, even poor, freight/hire rates in the Dry Bulk markets and I truly understand you.

This unfortunate, strenuous business environment is beyond your control and there are not many things someone could do to change the market’s downturn course, until ‘the shipping cycle’ is completed.

Although shipping crisis is the common denominator which suppresses, almost all, Shipping companies survival, there are certain actions which when followed and implemented you can be differentiated and compete successfully, where others fail, until the freight market recovers.

In 1997 (the year S.T.I.C was established), a similar soft rates period was hitting the dry bulk cargo vessels, once again.

That shipping crisis was faced by many with introversion, skepticism, despair even, but for others it was clearly an opportunity!

You could also SHIFT YOUR VIEWPOINT TODAY and focus in exploring the opportunities available or creating new ones!

You could easily decide what could be an opportunity or how to take advantage of new ideas -by answering few questions- after that you could plan the course of action which when implemented your vessels will become more competitive in this changing business environment.

In periods of crisis it is not the ‘strongest’ or the ‘bigger’ who survives but the fittest, the one who lasts longer!

If you are, also interested, in receiving our free of charge, easy to apply - Newsletters and Articles - information on ‘ORGANIZE - BATTLE & WIN’, 'PRODUCE AT MINIMUM EXPENSE’, with specific how to advices and technology, just avail few minutes of your time to help us understand in which category we should enlist your e mail address for sending you the right information for YOU.

You see, there are certain factors which differentiate YOUR Company’s needs and goals from another’s:

Please advise YES /NO /SOMETIMES / MAYBE as only acceptable replies. However if you feel that you wish to elaborate a question more and provide us more information, please feel free to do so!

　

1. Do you feel that there are no satisfactory paying cargoes/business opportunities for 
    your vessels this period?

   YES / NO / SOMETIMES /MAYBE

2. Do you think that changing vessels’ trading region you could see a betterment in
    vessels’ income?

    YES / NO / SOMETIMES /MAYBE

3. Do you believe that having access to economies of scale is the only way to cut further
    vessels’ operating expenses or increase earnings?

    YES / NO / SOMETIMES /MAYBE

4. Are you confident that you ‘see’ daily (have control) the whole freight market-
    business opportunities offered?

    YES / NO / SOMETIMES /MAYBE

5. Do you have reliable and trustworthy information of the daily fixtures for each region
    and similar vessels to yours?

   YES / NO / SOMETIMES /MAYBE

6. Does your broker advise you of what the freight levels are from his personal daily
    experience? (Not circulars, reports or press).

    YES / NO / SOMETIMES /MAYBE

7. Has any of your vessels remained in a spot position more than seven days the last
    three months?

    YES / NO / SOMETIMES /MAYBE

8. Do you feel that you are so successful that you wouldn’t change a thing in your
    planning or organizing?

   YES / NO / SOMETIMES /MAYBE

9. Have you ever thought that there must be something else you should do but you don’t
    know what?

    YES / NO / SOMETIMES /MAYBE

　

Since 1997, we have successfully served and serve, numerous loyal clients, internationally, every day, in many ways!

Our success is attributed to our satisfied clientele and our unstoppable interest and continuous efforts for improving our services to our client’s changing needs and their requirements.

Please send us your replies to chartering@eshipownerstrust.com for the attention of: Capt.Andreas, with your comments if any.

In case you don’t want to receive anymore our useful information and newsletters/articles please send us a message back at chartering@eshipownerstrust.com with the note:

unsubscribe ARTICLES. (it is importand to type the word ARTICLES to keep you in our positions/cargo lists).

If again you wish to receive our Newsletters at an alternative email address please advise accordingly.

We are looking forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely yours

S.T.I.C
Anastasios Maraslis
President/Director.

SHIPOWNERS TRUST INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION
                         S.T.I.C
                    Shipping & Trading
SHIP OPERATION/CHARTERING /S&P / TRADING.

S.T.I.C BUILDING - 3, VOUDOURI STR.,- PIRAEUS 185 37 -GREECE.
+30 210 4529500 (TEL), +30 210 4529505 (FAX)
30 6943 108283 MOBILE/Mrs. +Sapfo. /
30 6945 590744 MOBILE/Capt.Andreas/
anastchart2010@hotmail.com /MSN/
sm_chart@hotmail.com /MSN/
s.t.i.c.chartering-operations (SKYPE)www.eshipownerstrust.com
chartering@eshipownerstrust.com   (Chartering Dept.)
Operations@eshipownerstrust.com  (Operations Dept.)
Dry@eshipownerstrust.com             (S&P/TRADING Dept.)
info@eshipownerstrust.com            (General/Admin.Dept.)

'REPORTS AND MARKET JOURNALS VS HANDS ON THE BUSINESS'

Dear friends,colleagues,associates and clients,

'REPORTS AND MARKET JOURNALS VS HANDS ON THE BUSINESS
                   'by Mr. Anastasios Maraslis

                        President/Director

We all know that the majority of CP fixtures is on PNC basis.

However we do witness, very often, various 'fixture reports- journals' declaring vessels' fixtures at high hire or freight levels and  - too often -beyond the reality we experience as brokers, owners or charterers and thus most of the times we are getting confused or frustrated - especially in this soft freight market -
This is because these reports/journals are taken -by many - for granted or as being the ultimate and ONLY reliable source for brokers or shipowners or charterers to base their judgement on, for fixing their vessels or cargoes, chasing and striving to achieve the ‘ journals reported levels’.

Like most of the economic papers and journalists  writings influence investors psychology and the ‘market’ itself. However the ‘market’ it is us (brokers, owners, charterers). It has an identity, it is not something impersonal. It is you and me, all of us who fix vessels or cargoes as part of our daily routines.

We, here at S.T.I.C, receive daily various offers for our exclusive fleet or for our exclusive firm Charterers orders and we are indicated rates based on the argument of what these reports-journals reported as being the current market fixtures/rates.

S.T.I.C's general company policy is to doubt, a priori, what is written in such reports and to make our own investigation, queries, through our own channels to check what the AVERAGE markets levels are and what is pragmatic or not, usual or unusual, what is a RECORD FIXTURE or what is a below the average fixture.

But mostly we trust our everyday work and what we have in our hands every minute coming from experience and hard work and negotiations with charterers and owners alike.

Thus, we invite all our shipping colleagues, who wish to share their OWN, CONTROLLED, first hand INFORMATION, which is resulted as a product of YOUR negotiations and eventual fixtures, to ALLY WITH US for useful information exchanges, which will eventually
assist all of us in our everyday work adding CERTAINTY, CONTROL and RESPONSIBILITY to our fixtures at any time.

The above IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE JOURNALS & REPORTS will built an undisputed source of information based on reason and not on sentiment which is so volatile and fragile.

Looking forward to hearing from you with your interest to share your personal experience and information for dry bulk cargoes & vessels fixtures for HANDYMAX & SUPRAMAX size markets worldwide.

UNSUBSCRIBE:
In case you don’t want to receive anymore our useful information and newsletters/articles please send us a message back at chartering@eshipownerstrust.com with the note:
unsubscribe ARTICLES.  (it is important to type the word ARTICLES to keep you in our positions/cargo lists while deleting you form our newsletters/articles).

With great deal of thanks for your support and interest.

Sincerely yours,

S.T.I.C
Anastasios Maraslis
President/Director.

SHIPOWNERS TRUST INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION

S.T.I.C

Shipping & Trading
SHIP OPERATION/CHARTERING /S&P / TRADING.

S.T.I.C BUILDING - 3, VOUDOURI STR.,- PIRAEUS 185 37 -GREECE.
+30 210 4529500 (TEL), +30 210 4529505 (FAX)
+30 6943 108283 MOBILE/Mrs. Sapfo. /
+30 6945 590744 MOBILE/Capt.Andreas/
anastchart2010@hotmail.com /MSN/
sm_chart@hotmail.com /MSN/
s.t.i.c.chartering-operations (SKYPE)
www.eshipownerstrust.com
chartering@eshipownerstrust.com        (Chartering Dept.)Operations@eshipownerstrust.com       (Operations Dept.)Dry@eshipownerstrust.com                  (S&P/TRADING Dept.)info@eshipownerstrust.com                 (General/Admin.Dept.)