Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Politics : Ask Michael Burke -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: upanddown who wrote (35333)	11/5/1998 12:21:00 PM
From: yard_man	Respond to of 132070

Sister-in-law and her new hubby bought them. Must be the in fad now. That's what she's into.

To: upanddown who wrote (35333)	11/5/1998 12:47:00 PM
From: Knighty Tin	Respond to of 132070

John, I love platinum because it is precious like gold, but more so. It is also very useful in manufacturing, mostly in pollution devices. It is the key to the fuel cell technology that should lead the next cnetury. Check out what Ballard, the leader in fuel cells, has to say about platinum. Also, when you mine platinum, palladium and rhodium are in the mix. Palladium rose nearly as high in price as platinum last year, though that is not the way to bet longer term. Still, it is interesting that in every application where they are considering getting rid of platinum, palladium is the answer. Hey, if you put the money in my left hand or my right hand, I could care less. I don't know much about rhodium, though that is the kind of ring my next finacee will get. <G> The largest producer of platinum is Impala, in South Africa, Impay on the SI quote service. Sadly, it is an ADR that trades by appointment only. The largest producer in North America is Stillwater Mining (SWC). I think Impay is dirt cheap while SWC is somewhat ahead of itself on the stock price. I recently sold my SWC position. Platinum, quoted in dollars, will also do well if the buck loses some strength. Demand for platinum is much greater than what is being produced. The bear story is that every time the price goes up, the Russians will sell from their huge reserves. I don't buy the bear story. My guess, and it is as good as the bears' guess, is that if the Russians had a huge store of platinum, it would have already been sold. I feel that they either have much less stockpiled than the West believes or they can't deliver it for some reason. I am leaning toward the first, as the latter could cause problems down the line. At any rate, platinum and Impay are priced as though the Russians were going to dump a million tons on the market tomorrow. MB