Other Metals

It's crunch time for global platinum. With events kicking off this week that could radically change the outlook for supply -- and prices -- over the coming weeks and months.

The role that China plays in commodity prices is so big that the future of metal prices is totally dependent on China. In this article we analyze some key Chinese indicators all of which give us no reason to expect higher metal prices in 2016.

Aluminum (or aluminium) is the world’s most common metal by crustal abundance and, behind iron, is now the second most used metal in the world found in everything - planes, cars, buildings, machinery, consumer durables, packaging, and electrical uses. This infographic illustrates all you need to know about aluminium - its source, uses, consumption, average price, highest producing countries, top producing companies, and more.

If you think precious metals are expensive you are sorely mistaken. They are, in fact, dirt cheap (relatively speaking, I must admit!) when compared with the equivalent cost of the gemstones identified below. Take a look.

This article looks at physical gold, silver, platinum and copper regarding their respective versatility of use, durability, fungibility, store of value, liquidity and aesthetics which yields a new perspective and appreciation of each.

I have to admit, this is a very hard call to make and I could easily be wrong...but I am courageously sticking my neck out here and stating that we have most likely seen the lows for the broad metals & mining sector.

Industrial users get it. Investors in PGM ETFs get it. Shouldn't you go get it too? Palladium is an investment option with absolutely tremendous potential. Here's why.

I am 100% confident that 1) precious metals will bottom this year and resume a new leg to the upside, 2) the extreme emotions right now regarding gold and silver are typical at major turning points and 3) all the underlying fundamental, cyclical and technical conditions for a new bull market in gold and silver are in place. Here's an update on the latest action in gold, silver, platinum and palladium

Until the crisis in the international monetary system is resolved, the monetary aspect of silver will dominate its industrial aspect, and gold will keep its leadership role. As the silver price goes up, the more the industrial demand will decline, while the monetary demand will rise. The question is, in what proportions will this happen. Central banks and sovereign funds will dominate the gold market, whereas private investors will mainly dominate the silver market. There is no central bank that I know of that is buying silver today for its monetary reserves. Gold remains mainly a monetary metal, whereas silver has, above all, become an industrial metal that, in a monetary crisis like today's, can play a monetary role, as "poor man’s gold".

Investing in natural resources and precious metals is attractive today because the sector is so much cheaper than it was three years ago. Many of the stocks are trading at a 90 percent discount to their prices in 2011. For a contrarian investor, I believe that we are seeing a historic opportunity now.