Capesize bulkers are poised for a steely comeback not seen in a half decade after rebounding last month from a three-month freefall begun by Vale's major dam disaster, analysts say.

The average daily rate for capesize bulkers plummeted after Vale's Brumadinho tailing dam at the Feijao iron-ore mine collapsed 25 January, resulting in more than 300 deaths.

The Brazilian company quickly closed 50 tailing dams for testing after the breach, wiping 40 million metric tonnes of the commodity off a market already hurt by US-China trade tensions.