Precious metals are undoubtedly one of the most popular commodities to trade, not least because of the strength they add to the average investment portfolio. There are, of course, many factors to consider before investing in them, so it is worth knowing how they behave on the market and when the best time to invest is. Here are some considerations on precious metals.
Market Behaviour
Often traded through brokers like LCG, precious metals (gold, silver and platinum) exhibit unique market behaviour, and are considered a fairly steady investment. Gold is often used to hedge a portfolio against investment risk.
Given that their core value doesn’t really decrease, they are seen as the go-to commodity in times of political and economic uncertainty. This is because other, more volatile assets (like currencies) become incredibly difficult to invest in due to their unpredictability, and thus their value can often decrease dramatically.
Current Performance
It is worth noting that the behaviour of each individual precious metal is often mirrored by the other precious metals, Silver’s market behaviour, for instance, is incredibly similar to gold’s. Precious metals have, by their standards, had a fairly volatile year, with the value of gold currently standing at around $1,338/oz (as of 06/09/2017), almost exactly the same value as it was a year ago.
This is up from $1,157 at the start of the year. It is likely that tensions between the US and North Korea have contributed towards this surge in value, and it could well be the case that gold’s value decreases if this eases off. Silver’s market behaviour has been much the same over the last year, so compared to earlier in the year these metals are now very expensive.
Are They a Good Investment?
Compared to their value five years ago, precious metals are trading are a fairly low price. That being said, it seems as though they could well be on the rise again after a significant period of geopolitical turmoil, so watching the market carefully is bound to be a good idea.
Silver and platinum also have fairly widespread industrial uses, so any surge in demand for them could well see their price rise sharply.
Precious metals will always be a good investment to hedge against risk, but currently they may be seen as overvalued/too expensive by buyers. Many may be looking to sell in the short term future to take advantage of their current value.
James Hendrickson is an internet entrepreneur, blogging junky, hunter and personal finance geek. When he’s not lurking in coffee shops in Portland, Oregon, you’ll find him in the Pacific Northwest’s great outdoors. James has a masters degree in Sociology from the University of Maryland at College Park and a Bachelors degree on Sociology from Earlham College. He loves individual stocks, bonds and precious metals.