PLATINA – hranica $2000/oz pokorená

Platinum continued its record-setting rally Wednesday, briefly rising above $2,000 an ounce for the first time amid concerns that a power shortage in South Africa could slow mining operations for several years.

"The fact that in the future there's no near-term remedy for the power situation has galvanized the platinum market," said James Steel, analyst with HSBC in New York. "It's going to make it more difficult for the mines to achieve optimal production."

Platinum prices have roughly doubled in four years, with global inventories growing tighter as automakers try to meet demand, particularly in Asia and Eastern Europe. Demand for the metal, used in jewelry and catalytic converters in automotive exhaust systems, has also surged due to stricter emissions standards.

14.02.2008

"In the absence of the gold standard, there is no way to protect savings from confiscation through inflation. There is no safe store of value."   Alan Greenspan