Is Platinum ready for a rebound? Platinum has often been the precious metal that takes a back-seat to gold but you may not know it’s used in a large number of products we use every day. In 2020/21, the metal has seen its price greatly fluctuate. From over $1,000 an ounce down to $600 an ounce during the start of the Covid-19 lockdown. With other metals rising, the price may warrant another look.
Platinum traits are durability, brilliant color, and a great conductor of electricity, to name a few. It’s considered to be more rare than gold and was discovered by the conquering Spanish in Columbia around 1557. Interestingly, they did not value the metal because it was a byproduct of the silver mining process. They much preferred gold and silver. Little did the Conquistadors know, Platinum is one of the rarest, most dense, non-toxic metals on Earth.
OK, why invest in lustrous, silvery, dense metal? As with most precious metals, investing in platinum is often a hedge against the Federal Reserve and its money-printing machine. Interestingly, most Americans do not have Pt exposure in their retirement portfolios and they probably should.
Considering what happened to soft assets during the 2008 financial crisis and the first lockdowns of the 2020 Covid-19 financial sinkhole, retail investors should review retirement allocations with their advisors and explore this hedge. Metals and cryptocurrencies can be ‘protection’ from the excessive downside of a financial crisis and is a valid option to review. You don’t want to be put into a situation where bureaucrats, a natural disaster, or a virus can wipe out your hard-earned [retirement] savings.
The volatility of the areas where platinum is mined often works in the investor’s favor. 80% of the mines are in South Africa. These regions often have a fragile political climate and poor infrastructure and can lead to mine shut-downs. More often than not, this leads to less platinum being produced, demand remaining high and increased prices. A plus for owning Pt.
Platinum has very good demand. It is needed to manufacture many household and industrial products. Magnets, turbine engines, specialty silicones, lasers, hard disks, and temperature sensors to name a few. The highest demand for the metal comes from the automobile industry. It is highly coveted in the manufacturing of pollution-reducing, catalytic converters. Every catalytic converter, in [nearly] every new car with a combustion engine, uses the precious metal.
You may be thinking, ‘that’s great but the combustion engine is going to be extinct in 10 years?’ That may be true (or debatable) but that was before Covid-19. There is an increased demand for autos, trucks, etc. Since Tesla can’t make electric cars fast enough for the demand and the large automobile manufacturers are late to the electric game, that leaves the traditional automobile. What is spurring the increased demand? As businesses and offices slowly reopen, many people are commuting alone to avoid mass transportation. This has increased demand for new and used vehicles.
Automobile manufacturers are moving to EV, residential power consumption is moving to solar/battery for home usage as well. There will be increasing demand in the new electrified era that should keep platinum pricing on the rise or at the very least, stable. Platinum has excellent catalytic and conductive properties in the use of fuel cells. Fuel cells can turn hydrogen and air into water that in turn, produces electricity to power electric cars. Fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEV) use more than twice the amount of platinum in internal combustion engine vehicles. Early adopters with commercially available cars include Toyota, Hyundai, Nikola and Honda.
Jewelry accounts for approximately 30% of all platinum mined since it does not oxidize, tarnish, and is very malleable. When alloyed with other metals like copper and cobalt its strength and luster make it a favorite for jewelry manufacturers. This may not be considered positive with the onset of Covid-19, lack of weddings, events, or the effects on consumer spending. A negative for Pt.
Stable pricing is good when retirement investing. Despite the increased demand for autos, it is still not where it was in 2019. There remains a slowdown in the automobile and jewelry industries year over year. This will have an effect on prices. Platinum is a great conductor of electricity and its uses are valuable to renewable energy vehicles (EV’s) and all things electric.
Although demand is stable, this investment is not without risks. There is no doubt, the Covid-19 economic slow down in automotive and jewelry, are affecting prices. Total platinum demand in 2020 is forecast to be 11% lower than in 2019. Lower demand from automotive, jewelry, industry and investment are factors. During the last 3 weeks of November 2020, prices have gone from about $860/oz to $1,068/oz. Metals (and Bitcoin) are making nice runs.
It appears there is a light at the end of the tunnel with regards to the virus. The recent developments in vaccination and therapeutic treatment projects 2021 with some upside as our economy claws back to normalization.
An investor (not a trader), should always have some metals and cryptocurrencies in their portfolio to help insulate from a temporary or longer-term downside. Hard assets. It’s a good hedge. Fortunately, the 2020 Covid-19 financial downturn didn’t last long. Congress started spending and the Fed started printing. The bounce-back of most funds and stocks was very quick. The same can’t be said for what happened in 2008.
There are many ways to buy platinum. You can buy coins, bullion, or scrap. Buy from a reputable seller. The U.S. Mint does not sell but they have a list of Authorized Sellers. That’s a good place to start your due diligence. Consult with an expert and see which type of investment is the best for you.
Be careful, be diversified, and speak to your wealth manager about these options. History proves there is always a pullback in the financial markets. The bulls have been stampeding for the past 10+ years. The variable is limiting the severity of the pullback. Hedging with gold, silver platinum and some cryptocurrency, like Bitcoin, Etherium, Theta often make the road back to profit during a downturn much less challenging. It’s time to rethink adding Platinum, precious metals, and Bitcoin to your portfolio to hedge the Government’s easy-money, post-Covid-19 budgetary scenarios. Do your research. This is only R2cents. Happy investing.
Comments are closed.