Gold vs. Platinum

Why is Gold a safe haven and platinum is not??

This was a question I posed on one of the local trading boards, because in my head, I just can't work it out.

Gold has gone bananas this afternoon as the US financial system can no longer plaster over its cracks. Gold shares are on the fly and the metal itself has jumped over 11% in the last few hours.

Interestingly the price of platinum has also started to tick up and so has silver...

Now when things start hitting the wall, the traditional response has been to pile into Gold which is supposed to be more 'secure' than traditional money.

But apart a brief trip up to US$1000 an ounce, gold has hardly set the world alight and in the last few months has given up most of those gains... Until this afternoon.

And now the trouble really has hit the fan and the traders are looking to Gold and (maybe) Platinum and silver and some people are getting slightly excited - opportunities amongst the carnage!

I'm buying into this idea of a perfect storm of precious metals (Gold, Platinum and Silver) and a big klap for the emerging market currencies...

Interesting times indeed