Spot platinum on Friday touched a fresh 25-year high of $961,50 a troy ounce on continued fund buying of the metal as well as strength in the rest of the commodity complex, traders said.
At 1.30pm, platinum was quoted at $959/oz, down $1/oz from its previous close.
“Investment demand looks set to continue in the coming sessions with platinum potentially targeting the $1 000/oz level as the market lacks significant chart-resistance levels,” United Kingdom-based analyst for TheBullionDesk.com James Moore wrote.
Platinum and palladium have been lifted over the past week by the commodity updraft that has seen all precious metals surge, London-based UBS analyst John Reade wrote.
Earlier on Friday, copper soared to an all-time high.
“The recent changes to the Commitment of Traders Report show that new longs have entered both markets, with the change in the speculative position more pronounced in palladium,” Reade added.
“At one level, this is simply palladium-trading speculators bringing their spec positions in line with those in other precious metals; however, we are more nervous about the longs in palladium as the market remains oversupplied and stocks are large,” he wrote.
“Even with platinum up near 25-year highs, we favour pricier platinum over palladium in the near term,” Reade added.
Platinum is mainly used to make auto catalysts and jewellery.
Palladium was last quoted at $240,50/oz, $1/oz off the metal’s previous close. On Thursday, palladium climbed to a 17-month high of $245,50/oz.
“Industrial and jewellery substitution as well as overflow interest in platinum look set to push palladium higher, with resistance now pegged at $250/oz,” Moore wrote.
Rhodium was last at $2 880/oz, near its recent high of $2 900/oz achieved in early October.
Palladium and rhodium are largely used in the manufacture of auto catalysts.
At 1.30pm, spot gold was quoted at $466,40/oz from Thursday’s close of $466,45/oz, while the euro was quoted at $1,1704 from a close of $1,1689.
“It seems clear, with hindsight, that the professional market was expecting further speculative long liquidation and probably got good and short below $460/oz, and when this failed to materialise, gold traded higher at least partly on short-covering,” Reade wrote.
“It seems clear that there is more to gold’s strength than simply short-covering. Considering that gold is trading just shy of €400/oz, there may be other buying of gold that we are unable to track,” he added.
“All commodities are strong, however, not just gold and precious metals, and it may be that over-the-counter commodity index buying could be supporting gold — and many other commodities — in spite of the strength of the United States dollar,” Reade added.
The overall mood for gold is positive with the market supported by physical, safe-haven and investment demand, Moore wrote.
“For now, gold should remain in the $460/oz-to-$470/oz area with the US Veterans Day holiday in the US likely to lead to a slow start next week,” he added.
Gold seems to be building for another run toward $500/oz in the weeks ahead, London-based JP Morgan technical analyst Robin Wilkin wrote. — I-Net Bridge