Gold
Gold has been used throughout history as money and of course as a means of decoration, but it is also a vital industrial metal. There are many ways in which to invest in gold, such as the traditional buying of coins and bullion, but gold can be easily traded via futures, options, mining stocks and ETF's, and these provide a much more convenient solution for market participants wanting to trade gold.
Details -
Contract specification
Silver
Silver as with Gold, has been used by many nations through the years as a unit of monetary value and still today Pound Sterling reflects the fact it originally represented the value of one pound tower weight of sterling silver. Silver too can be traded via a wide range of derivatives such as futures, options and stocks.
Details -
Contract specification
Copper
Copper may not have the same prestigious history as Gold or Silver but it is still a very highly saught after metal because of its many industrial applications. Unlike many other 'precious' metals, copper can be found in large quantities around the world, however many copper deposits are currently not economical viable to mine due to either location or depth.
Details -
Contract specification
Platinum
Platinum is part of the platinum group metals consisting of six metallic elements, ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, osmium, iridium and platinum. It is heavily used in the jewellery industry which accounts for around 50% of its annual usage but it is also a major component in the automotive industry. Platinum is one of the world's rarest metals and its low production volumes and concentration among a few suppliers, can result in platinum prices being very volatile
Details -
Contract specification
Palladium
Part of the platinum group metals, Palladium is also used heavily in the automotive industry and in particular diesel engined vehicles. It is also used in electronics, dentistry, medicine and more recently fuel cells. Its numerous applications and limited supply sources result in the metal attracting considerable interest from traders and investors.
Details -
Contract specification