Gaining exposure
Commodities investing was once considered to be the preserve of the professional investor, although there are now many different ways for all investors to gain exposure to commodities, including platinum.
Investors wanting to own physical platinum can purchase bullion products (coins and bars), either directly from sovereign mints or through online platforms and retailers and other authorised dealers. Bullion can be traded, and although premiums do apply for supplier margin, transportation and vaulting, bars and coins can be attractive to investors as they carry no credit or counterparty risk.
Investing in platinum via an exchange is also an option. ETFs are listed entities that issue shares which can be traded on an exchange, meaning that prices can vary throughout the day. Investors can buy and sell shares in an ETF, either directly from the stock exchange it is listed on or through a broker or bank.
With a physically-backed platinum ETF, investors know that the value of their shares is 100 per cent matched by physical platinum in the form of investment bars. These platinum bars, held in a highly secure vault, are the only assets of the fund and reflect the platinum price, less fees – which are typically well below one percent per annum. This type of asset allows an individual or asset manager to invest in physical platinum without incurring additional costs, such as insurance premiums and storage.
Private, as well as professional, investors can also access the futures markets. Platinum futures are financial products that allow participants to lock in a future platinum price by entering into a binding contract that commits them to buying or selling an amount of platinum at a fixed price at a future date. Investors can then either exercise the contract on its expiry date or - depending upon their view of the market - trade the underlying contract, allowing them to make a profit, subject to market movements.
Including platinum in a portfolio can, like gold, add diversification, as well as protecting against inflation, currency risk and negative interest rates. As platinum is an industrial as well as precious metal, platinum investment is also a way of preserving wealth and gaining upside from global growth.