Platinum

Palladium’s surge to a record has intensified talk among analysts that carmakers will look to replace it with cheaper platinum for use in pollution-control devices . . . .

Platinum, with its price close to the lowest level in nearly a decade, might soon attract the interest of bargain hunters . . . .

Precious metals have all taken a bit of a knock in recent months with a revival in the strength of the US Dollar. Platinum is an interesting one in particular . . . .

Platinum Guild International (PGI) has released its Q1 Platinum Jewellery Business Review of the platinum jewelry market around the world . . . .

With China’s strong economic growth in the first quarter of this year, jewelry demand in that country also increased, but platinum jeweler demand lagged behind other jewelry segments owing to a lack in innovative product and market-wide marketing support, says Platinum Guild International . . . .

Rarer than gold, platinum and palladium are racing each other for price dominance . . . .

There are hopes that platinum could once again be used to make autocatalytic converters for petrol-powered engines, creating fresh demand for the metal amid a deepening supply deficit . . . .

Auto catalyst metal palladium will struggle to maintain its recent push to 16-year highs above $1,000 an ounce, but is still expected to set record average highs this year and next as emissions controls ramp up, a Reuters poll showed on Thursday . . . .

Chinese trade data has showed that the most monthly silver imports in May since 2010, while platinum imports were the strongest in more than a year . . . .

Standard Chartered looks for the palladium market to be in a supply deficit this year while platinum is nearly balanced; still, analysts said any move in palladium prices to the same level as platinum – should one occur – likely would be only temporary . . . .