The gold spot price represents the current settlement price of gold at a given weight in a specific currency, in this case 1 troy oz in £. The spot price should not be confused with the futures or option price.
Precious metals have always held the imagination, but their value as an investment is not based purely on their decorative, aesthetic appeal or as bullion in bank vaults. Precious metals are highly resistant to corrosion, malleable and good conductors, making them useful in industrial processes especially in computers and new technology. Much of the demand for precious metals is from industry. This in conjunction with their relative scarcity makes them an important part of any portfolio as a hedge against inflation.
The future contract for gold is a popular choice for investors wishing to have exposure to gold but who don't wish to deal directly with the metal itself. The CME has now produced cut down versions of the gold contract with its Gold E-mini, a more affordable entry place for private investors.
Platinum, sometimes referred to as white gold, is an extremely rare metal, which like palladium is used in catalytic converters but is more popularly known as a metal used in jewellry. Platinum is used in computer hard disks, in fact this highly conductive metal is used in many electronic devices. it is a catalyst in the manufacture of high octane gasoline, and in the creation of petrochemical synthetics like polyester.
The main traded precious metals are:
Gold
Silver
Palladium
Platinum
Precious metals are traded in many ways. Exposure to changes in metals prices can happen directly and indirectly affecting other types of investments. You can trade precious metals through:
Bullion and precious metal merchants
Futures contracts
Option contracts
ETFs (Exchange Traded Funds)
Mining stocks
Collectables
There are market participants from the industrial and manufacturing sectors who use precious metals in new technologies, as well as medical and dental applications. Such companies may need to actively hedge against the rise in cost of precious metals.
Silver and gold have been used historically as coinage, as industrialised economies developed gold was used as a standard for national and international trade. Even today gold is sometimes referenced as a general economic indicator, though its relevance is severely limited. The failure of the gold standard in the 1930s caused governments to move away from precious metals as viable vehicles to stabilise currency value and exchange. Nevertheless the continuing liquidity of precious metals makes them an important investment tool for private and institutional trading and a useful reference for changes in market direction.
CME COMEX / NYMEX
TOCOM Tokyo Commodities Exchange
Gold (day) TOCOM
Gold (night) TOCOMN
Gold Mini (day) TOCOM
Gold Mini (night) TOCOMN
Platinum Mini (day) TOCOM
Platinum Mini (night) TOCOMN
Palladium (day) TOCOM
Palladium (night) TOCOMN
Platinum (day) TOCOM
Platinum (night) TOCOMN
Silver (day) TOCOM
Silver (night) TOCOMN
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