precious metals Archives - Page 8 of 122

Platinum Could Restore Its Supremacy Soon

Posted on March 17, 2018March 16, 2018 by Aibek Burabayev

Last October I focused on the rare case when the price of palladium, for the first time in many years, could surpass the usually dominant platinum price. Both, common sense and chart analysis of the palladium price suggested that the triumph of this metal could be temporary. In the charts below, we can see if this conclusion turned out to be right.

Chart 1. Platinum/Palladium Ratio Monthly: Half-Half

Chart courtesy of tradingview.com

This time I would like to start with the chart of the relative strength of the two metals which is clearly traceable through the platinum/palladium ratio. This ratio is falling sharply from the 2009 high at the 6.09 oz showing the dramatic weakness of platinum compared to palladium. In the chart above, I only show you the period when the drop started to decelerate, and the trend turned flat. Continue reading "Platinum Could Restore Its Supremacy Soon" →

HUI Is Testing Support, XAU Is Yet To Try

Posted on October 30, 2017 by Aibek Burabayev

Much to my dismay, I’ve never covered these hot indices in my posts. I detected some interesting chart patterns as well as significant price actions and thought if it might be interesting to cover and discuss.

These indices have a long trading history as well as great companies that are tracked by each index. The NYSE Arca Gold BUGS Index (HUI) and Philadelphia Gold and Silver Index (XAU) are the two most watched gold indices on the market. The main difference between them is that the HUI Index’s components are only gold producers (17 companies) whereas the XAU Index includes both gold and silver miners (30 names). Below is the table of listings for comparison.

Table 1. Current Composition of Indices

XAU and HUI Index Listings

I highlighted the matching companies in green so you can easily see the difference between the indices. It is evident that the HUI index almost entirely sits in the XAU index (15 out of 17 names are in), the latter in its turn covers broader the precious metals market. Let us see in the charts below their dynamics and possible price action. Continue reading "HUI Is Testing Support, XAU Is Yet To Try" →

Palladium Finally Beats Platinum

Posted on October 23, 2017 by Aibek Burabayev

Chart 1. Platinum Vs. Palladium: Crossed Swords

Chart courtesy of tradingview.com

Sixteen years ago was the last time that platinum was cheaper than palladium in 2001 (black vertical line). By then palladium had spent a year in the dominant position over platinum, and at that time the price of both metals had been fluctuating around $600 level. Since then platinum has returned to its usual upper position to palladium, and the gap was growing exponentially in favor of platinum until it reached the peak with the $1600 of supremacy in 2008. After that, the gap began to narrow and last month it entirely evaporated as a global shift in the automotive industry showed a growing demand for gasoline and hybrid cars (palladium related) amid slowing demand for diesel cars (platinum related).

The Volkswagen emissions scandal started on the 18th of September 2015 (orange vertical line), when the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a notice of violation. I dedicated a post in 2015 to that significant event. The price of both metals continued higher right after that news as the reaction time to such a report always has a gap in such a giant industry. Continue reading "Palladium Finally Beats Platinum" →

Is Stillwater Mining Company (NYSE:SWC) A Smart Takeover?

Posted on January 23, 2017January 22, 2017 by Aibek Burabayev

Back in September, I wrote that the Stillwater Mining’s stock price was under pressure amid a weakening Platinum. The metal’s price action signaled that another drop below $1000 was in the cards. Indeed the metal price has lost “one digit” sinking to a low of $890 last month from the $1030 level when I wrote the post.

Stillwater Mining Company (NYSE:SWC) followed the metal’s drop and fell from $12.43 to $11.19 last October, but then it started to rocket higher and hit the 2-year maximum at the $17.50 level last December despite the new low in the platinum price. The clear answer to this contradiction in the metal and stock price behavior came on the 9th of December, 2016. That day, “The Last Mohican” of pure American platinum-group metals (PGM) producers announced that it would be acquired by a South African company for $2.2 billion in a deal that requires U.S. government approval. The purchase price was set at $18 per share and this explains the robust growth of the stock price on the market. Continue reading "Is Stillwater Mining Company (NYSE:SWC) A Smart Takeover?" →

Precious Metals In 2016: The Dark Horse Won The Prize

Posted on December 28, 2016December 27, 2016 by Aibek Burabayev

This interesting year is coming to an end and in this post I would like to offer you a summary of precious metals’ dynamics in 2016.

Chart 1. Metals in 2016: Boom And Bust