Greek shipowners remained at the centre of global dry bulk activity during the first five months of 2026, recording 87 vessel sales, 48 acquisitions and 35 newbuilding orders, according to an analysis by Xclusiv Shipbrokers.Posidonia 2026 shipping exhibition highlighted the continued prominence of Greek owners in the sector, with the industry maintaining a flexible investment strategy that capitalises on both second-hand asset values and opportunities in the newbuilding market. Greek participation in shipbuilding activity was particularly strong during the January-May period.A total of 153 dry bulk newbuilding contracts, with an estimated value of about 7 billion dollars, were signed worldwide during the first five months of the year.Greek shipowners accounted for 35 of those orders, representing 23% of the total. In value terms, their investments are estimated at roughly 2 billion dollars, equivalent to 28.5% of total spending in the dry bulk newbuilding market.Most Greek orders were concentrated in larger vessel segments, including 13 Kamsarmax and 12 Capesize bulk carriers, highlighting a strategic positioning towards future demand in major dry bulk trades such as iron ore and coal transportation.The trend was reinforced during Posidonia, where several new Greek orders were announced.According to Xclusiv, these included an order by the Tsakos Group for two 180,000-dwt Capesize vessels at China’s Hengli shipyard for delivery in 2028, and an order by Capital Maritime, controlled by Evangelos Marinakis, for four 82,000-dwt Kamsarmax vessels, also at Hengli.Additional transactions included DryDel Shipping, led by Costas Delaportas, ordering one Kamsarmax and two 64,000-dwt Ultramax vessels at Japan’s Nihon Shipyard, while EuroDry, owned by Aristides Pittas, placed an order for two Kamsarmax vessels at Hengli.Second-hand market activity acceleratesIn the second-hand market, 378 bulk carriers changed hands between January and May, marking a 21% increase compared with the same period in 2025.Activity was spread across all vessel classes, with Handysize ships leading the market with 86 transactions, accounting for 22% of total deals. Supramax vessels followed with 79 transactions, representing 21%, while Kamsarmax vessels recorded 52 sales, or 14% of the total.The distribution highlights sustained liquidity in the smaller and mid-sized vessel segments, which continue to offer greater commercial flexibility in the current market environment.Greek owners once again topped the sellers’ rankings. Greek-controlled companies sold 87 bulk carriers during the first five months of the year, accounting for approximately 23% of all dry bulk sale-and-purchase transactions globally.The aggregate value of those sales is estimated at 968 million dollars, out of a total market value of around 7.2 billion dollars, representing roughly 13% of the overall transaction value.By segment, Greek disposals were concentrated in Handysize vessels with 21 sales, followed by 18 Supramax and 15 Kamsarmax transactions.Selective buyersAt the same time, Greek owners remained active in terms of acquisitions, pursuing a more selective but equally significant buying strategy.Between January and May, Greek companies acquired 48 bulk carriers with an estimated combined value of 952 million dollars.This placed Greek buyers second globally, behind Chinese buyers, who acquired 85 vessels during the period.Greek purchasing activity focused primarily on the Handysize segment with 17 acquisitions, followed by 13 Kamsarmax vessels and seven Ultramax ships.