Platinum’s Precarious Supply Pushing Prices Higher

Kitco reported platinum and palladium are in short supply and analysts expect prices to rise.

As quoted in the market news:

…work stoppages ordered by the Department of Mineral Resources under a decree known as Section 54. The stoppages are related to safety and usually occur after accidents, but Tremblay noted that more shutdowns are occurring even without accidents.

She gave the example of Anglo American Platinum, which said in the fourth quarter 2011 it had 32 Section 54 stoppages compared to about half as many in the third quarter.

Click here to read the full Kitco report.