Risk Warning: Your Capital is at Risk.
In this guide, we explain the main reasons why some traders choose to invest in platinum, what experts think, and how to get started trading different financial instruments for platinum.
We also provide a list of recommended brokers further down the guide.
In a hurry? If you want to start trading platinum, here are platinum trading brokers available in to consider:
Disclaimer: Availability subject to regulations.
Between 74-89% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs.
Contents
Why Do People Trade Platinum?
Trading platinum offers a way to express a bullish view on global growth. At the same time, other traders see platinum as a store of value and an insurance policy against dollar weakness.
Here are three of the best specific reasons for investing in platinum:
- Bet on Industrial Growth
- Bet on Weak US Dollar
- Bet on Supply/Demand Imbalance
Important: This is not investment advice. We present a number of common arguments for and against investing in this commodity. Please seek professional advice before making investment decisions.
Betting on Industrial Growth
The auto industry is only one of many industries that use platinum in its products. Nearly one in five manufactured products uses platinum during some stage of the making of the final product.
As emerging market economies grow, demand for manufactured goods will grow as well. An investment in platinum is a way to bet on growth in global industry.
Are Platinum Investments a Hedge on Weak US Dollar?
Platinum is similar to many commodities in that it generally moves in an inverse relationship with the US dollar. This makes platinum investing a way to profit from the detrimental effects of a weak dollar.
Unrestrained spending by the United States government has produced large debts and deficits in the world’s biggest economy. The US government has an unlimited ability to print dollars to pay down this debt, and this can result in a significant loss of purchasing power.
Investing in platinum and other hard assets protect investors from the erosion of wealth that occurs from a weak US dollar.
You can see the relationship of platinum’s per ounce price to the US dollar in our Live Spot Platinum Price Guide.
Speculating on Supply/Demand Imbalance
Platinum supplies are limited and concentrated in only a few countries.
In recent years, in response to lower prices, companies have shut down mines and lowered production.
There are many possible events that could lead to a spike in platinum prices:
- Mining strikes in South Africa
- Safety failures at mines
- Increased consumer demand in developing nations
- Higher global exhaust emission standards
In an industry where supply is already constrained, these imbalances could greatly increase platinum prices.
Where Can You Trade Platinum?
If you are looking to get started trading platinum and other precious metal commodities, here’s a list of regulated brokers available in to consider.
CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. Between 74%-89% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs. You should consider whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
IMPORTANT: CFDs are not available in the USA due to local regulation, and regulated brokers do not accept US citizens or US residents as clients.
Ways To Trade Platinum
Platinum investors have several ways to invest in the commodity:
| Method of Investing | Complexity Rating (1 = easy, 5 = hard) | Storage Costs | Expiration Date | Management Cost | Leverage | Regulated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Platinum Bullion | 1 | YES | NO | NO | NO | NO |
| CFDs | 3 | NO | NO | NO | YES | YES |
| Futures | 5 | NO | YES | NO | YES | YES |
| Options | 5 | NO | YES | NO | YES | YES |
| ETFs | 2 | YES* | NO | YES | NO | YES |
| Shares | 2 | NO | NO | NO | YES | YES |
*Storage costs are passed on to traders in the form of management fees.
Where To Buy Platinum Bullions
Investors can buy platinum bullion bars and coins from metals dealers in the same way they can buy gold or silver bullion.
In the United States, for example, investors can purchase American Platinum Eagle coins that have a purity of 99.95%.
Platinum bars are fabricated at foundries in different sizes including one ounce, ten ounces and 1 kilogram. Buying physical platinum requires storage units such as safety deposit boxes or secure safes.
Here are some online platinum bullion dealers you might consider:
How Platinum Futures Work
The New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX), which is part of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME), offers platinum futures contracts. These derivative products have the longest history among all metals products traded on the exchange.
Futures investors use leverage to buy contracts tied to the price of platinum. If prices decline, investors must put up additional margin to maintain positions.
Investors must also either roll futures contracts forward each month or accept physical delivery. Investing in the futures market requires sophistication and active maintenance of positions by the trader.
What Are Platinum Options?
Platinum options are also a derivative instrument that trades on the NYMEX. Like futures, options have an expiration date.
However, unlike futures, option bets succeed only if the price reaches the strike price by the expiration date.
Learn more about how options contracts work in our Options Trading Guide.
Options buyers pay a premium to the seller in exchange for the right to exercise the option in the future.
Options traders must make correct determinations about the size and timing of platinum’s move in order to profit from their trades.
What Are Platinum ETFs?
These financial instruments trade as shares on exchanges in the same way that stocks do.
There are several ways to invest in platinum using exchange-traded funds (ETFs). Below is a list of the most popular platinum ETFs:
| ETFS Physical Platinum Shares | iPath Dow Jones-UBS Platinum ETN | Sprott Physical Platinum and Palladium Trust |
|---|---|---|
Platinum Mining Company Shares
There are many publicly traded companies that have some exposure to platinum prices.
While investing in companies can be a leveraged way to gain exposure to platinum prices, many of these companies have significant exposure to other precious metals.
In addition, factors such as company management and the overall stock market can also affect these investments:
| Company | Current Price | Overview | Listings |
|---|---|---|---|
Anglo American Platinum | The world's largest primary producer of platinum | Johannesburg (JSE) | |
Impala Platinum | A leading producer of platinum and associated platinum group metals | Johannesburg (JSE) London (LSE) | |
Norilsk Nickel | Russian nickel and palladium mining and smelting company | London (LSE) Moscow (MCX) |
How To Trade Platinum CFDs
One way to invest in platinum is through the use of a contract for difference (CFD) derivative instrument.
CFDs allow investors to speculate on the price of platinum without purchasing assets like bullion, ETFs, futures, options, or mining shares. Learn more about CFDs in our CFD Trading Guide.
Many regulated brokers worldwide offer platinum CFDs. Customers deposit funds with the broker, which serves as a margin.
The advantage of CFDs is that investors can have exposure to platinum without purchasing or storing bullion or having to manage complex futures or options positions.
Should I Trade Platinum?
A reason traders may invest in platinum is portfolio diversification. Most investment portfolios have an extreme concentration in stocks and bonds, and commodities provide a way to mitigate some of this risk.
Platinum also offers investors a way to profit from growth in the automotive industry and the industrial sector in general.
What Are The Upsides Of Trading Platinum?
Emerging economies will continue to expand, and as they do so, their citizens will consume more manufactured goods.
Investing in platinum allows investors to capitalize on this trend without having to invest in local emerging country stock markets.
Investing in platinum allows investors to profit from a weak dollar as well as strength in consumer spending.
Growth in large industrial economies such as the United States has often occurred at the expense of a strong currency. In fact, US policymakers have kept interest rates low to stimulate consumer borrowing and grow exports.
Platinum Trading Risks: What Are They?
Investing in platinum, however, does have its risks:
- A slowdown in the auto sector or a global recession would almost certainly depress prices.
- The development of new automotive emissions-reducing technology could also sink prices.
- Significant Fed tightening and strength in the US dollar may lead to weaker platinum prices and weaker commodities in general.
Expert Opinions On The Platinum Market
Some experts see platinum investing as an alternative investment to gold.
John LaForge, head of real asset strategy at Wells Fargo, believes that platinum prices represent a more affordable way than gold to invest in precious metals.
Another leading expert sees favorable long-term fundamentals, including increased use of platinum in industrial applications and constrained supplies, as reasons for bullishness:
In particular, auto sales in Europe have been growing strongly, and so far there is no sign that the political uncertainty there is having any impact on consumption. What’s more, underinvestment and reserve depletion in South Africa will continue to constrain any growth in output.
Simona Gamborini, Capital Economics & Commodities Expert
Further Reading
Learn about the characteristics of platinum that set it apart from other precious metals in our Guide To Platinum As A Commodity. You can also track the live platinum spot price & see historical trends in our Platinum Price Charts.
If you want to explore other metal trading options see our guides on:
