Insights

As one of the key platinum group metals, palladium is a highly prized commodity. It commands more monetary value than gold and is 30 times as rare, with industrial demand outstripping supply for the last decade.

Platinum is a metal that represents power, prestige, and a sense of great accomplishment. But platinum is so much more than just a status symbol. Modern day uses of platinum include being a key element in catalytic converters for vehicles, as it converts car exhaust gasses into less harmful substances, as a catalyst in the chemical industry, and even in the creation of life-saving anti-cancer drugs.

Whitney George, Chief Investment Officer, Sprott Asset Management, identifies the major paradigm shift we are navigating post-COVID. This new landscape is marked by “globalization in reverse”; a trapped Fed juggling rising inflation, record debt levels and negative real interest rates; a new global focus on decarbonization and ESG; and a move toward more moderate politics. Maria Smirnova, Senior Portfolio Manager, shares Sprott’s 2022 outlook on gold, silver, platinum and palladium.

April provided precious metals markets redemption from a challenging first quarter, with gold finishing the month up 3.60% and silver climbing 6.14%. Silver continues to benefit from expansionary monetary and fiscal policies worldwide and its key industrial role in the new technologies of the "green revolution." 
 

Gold prices finished March at $1,708, closing off a difficult quarter on the heels of gold's positive, record year. COVID-19 vaccine rollouts in the U.S. encouraged market optimism which was reflected in rising U.S. Treasury yields and a strong U.S. dollar. Despite the cheerier economic outlook, the long-term risks associated with trillions of dollars of economic stimulus, and mounting debt, provide ample support for our bullish metals outlook.  

Platinum prices have moved higher as COVID-19 has constrained supply amid rising demand. YOY, spot platinum is up more than 90%. Growing interest among investors for platinum's role as a store of value has also boosted prices. We examine how the global pandemic has impacted platinum supply and demand, and offer our bullish outlook.

For many U.S. investors the returns provided by owning physical gold — and the other precious metals including silver, platinum and palladium — come with a sobering surprise when the assets are sold and it’s time to pay taxes. The reason: The U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) categorizes gold and other precious metals as "collectibles" which are taxed at 28%. Most other types of long-term capital gains are taxed at 15%-20%.

As COVID spread in 2020, investors embraced gold and silver as portfolio protection. But the role of these metals extends far beyond this. We explore how precious metals are helping to medically combat the virus and identify several innovative disease-fighting applications that depend on gold, silver, platinum and palladium.

2020 has been a breakout year for precious metals. The uncertainty and risk-off sentiment created by the global COVID-19 pandemic have increased the luster of precious metals. Both gold and silver ETFs have enjoyed record flows. In this webcast, we explore the key benefits of precious metals investing in the current environment.

Read the latest intel on Palladium from the World Platinum Investment Council. The spectacular increase in the price of palladium since 2016, in particular during 2019, attracted widespread interest from investors, industrial users of palladium and market commentators. It also highlighted the importance of understanding the palladium market when considering an investment in palladium or platinum.

For many U.S. investors the returns provided by owning physical gold — and the other precious metals including silver, platinum and palladium — come with a sobering surprise when the assets are sold and it’s time to pay taxes. The reason: The U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) categorizes gold and other precious metals as “collectibles” which are taxed at a 28% long-term capital gains rate. 

Platinum may claim 2019 as a turning point year despite a volatile first eight months. YTD through Friday, August 30, platinum’s spot price has jumped 17.34%. Many indications point that platinum’s multi-year period of stagnation may finally be ending.

Rick Rule, Senior Managing Director of Sprott, interviews Trevor Raymond, Director of Research at the World Platinum Investment Council, about promising signs for the platinum market, after several years of weakness.

Silver, platinum and palladium (the “white metals”) join gold (the “yellow metal”) to complete the quartet of the world’s most precious metals. Although gold tends to overshadow them, the white precious metals have the same potential to hold an essential role in an investor’s portfolio.

Palladium has been a standout performer, more than doubling in price in three years 2016 to 2018. YTD the white-hot metal is up more than 10% as of January 16, 2019. Palladium’s rise is best understood by analyzing its unique supply-demand dynamics. Russia and South Africa account for nearly 80% of the world's production, and a chronic supply deficit keeps pushing prices higher. 

Palladium is a key component for ICE autocatalysts. While the escalating U.S.-China trade war hurt many commodities in 2018, palladium continued to rise. Spot palladium gained 18.6% in 2018 and has climbed 124% since the beginning of 2016.

Platinum is one of the rarest of metals but often flies under the radar. In Part 2, we look at platinum supply-demand dynamics and explain why we believe that Platinum is too cheap to ignore. 

Platinum is one of the rarest of metals but often flies under the radar. In Part 1, we provide a Platinum Primer and explain why we are bullish on this essential metal, which plays a critical role in the automotive, industrial and jewelry sectors.