** Shares of shipping cos Diana Shipping DSX.N , Safe
Bulkers SB.N and Golden Ocean GOGL.O slide in premarket as
Jefferies downgrades their rating to "hold" from "buy" citing a
decline in dry bulk charter rates
** DSX and SB fall 3% and 2.5%, respectively, while GOGL
drops ~7%
** Jefferies sees softer demand for steel and iron ore as
global steel markets are under pressure, with the decline in
Chinese output adding to woes
** Says Cape segments (largest vessel size) affected the
most, but is trickling down to other vessel classes too
** Brokerage, however, sees resurgent coal demand for
several quarters due to ongoing tight energy supplies in
Northern Hemisphere
** Cuts price targets for Genco Shipping GNK.N and Star
Bulk SBLK.O , sending their shares down between 0.8% and 1.6%
** DSX.N and GNK.N , however, trading in low volumes
** The Baltic Exchange's main sea freight index .BADI had
however gained for four weeks till Friday's close, supported by
demand for capesize vessels urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL4N30U20V
** Breakwave dry bulk shipping ETF BDRY.P down 2.6%
(Reporting by Shristi Achar A)
((Shristi.AcharA@thomsonreuters.com;))