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6 Reasons Why Platinum and Palladium Are Likely to Shine in Investment Portfolios
Gold is up nearly 20 percent in 2016, with investors flocking into the yellow metal for its potential safe-haven benefits as the market evaluates central bank policies and volatility in equities. While the gold rally continues to dominate financial headlines, investors may be missing other precious metals opportunities, like Platinum and Palladium.
Investors seeking investment alternatives to gold should take a closer look at platinum and palladium. We believe these shiny white metals offer investors great price entry points and powerful long-term growth drivers. Specifically, here are six reasons why investors should consider adding platinum and palladium to their portfolios.
1. Scarcity
According to the International Platinum Group Metals Association (IPA), annual production of platinum and palladium amounts to around 440 tons, much less than many common metals.
Geographically, production is highly concentrated. 58 percent of world primary production of these metals takes place in South Africa and Russia accounts for an additional 26 percent.1 Nearly all of the rest comes from Zimbabwe, Canada, and the United States. Deposits in Russia and North America have high palladium contents while deposits in South Africa and Zimbabwe are richer in platinum.
2. Stable and Growing Demand
As with any assets, investors need to know where they are putting their money. Most investors probably haven’t thought much about platinum or palladium since their last high school chemistry quiz, although they are probably more familiar with other precious metals like gold and silver.
Platinum and palladium are used mostly for industrial purposes such as the manufacturing of catalytic converters in automobile exhaust systems (platinum for diesel vehicles, palladium for gasoline) which convert pollutant gases into less harmful ones.
Across major consumer markets worldwide, auto sales are increasing and automobile manufacturers continue to increase per-vehicle loadings of each metal to meet more-stringent emissions standards worldwide, particularly in Europe, China and the U.S. These trends translate into highly favorable supply demand dynamics for platinum and palladium.
3. Favorable Macroeconomic Trends
Coupled with an overall uptick expected this year in industrial production, platinum and palladium’s cyclical economic exposure makes them a potential ideal portfolio alternative. According to recent Bloomberg data, the white metals climbed to the highest level in more than three months, entering bull markets, on speculation that infrastructure spending in China will boost demand for the metals used in auto pollution-control devices. Last week, platinum posted the biggest gain since October, while palladium surged the most since 2001, helped by the outlook for low borrowing costs and rising auto sales in the U.S.
4. New Emissions Regulations
With favorable supply-demand fundamentals already in place, new emissions regulations could push prices even higher this year. For example, the World Platinum Investment Council and SFA revealed that the rollout of 2016 European emission regulations last year resulted in a 7% rise in platinum loaded into diesel cars.
1 Chamber of Mines of South Africa, Annual Report 2012; figure does not include recycling.
5. Further Upside Potential
Other factors may also spark higher prices, including dollar depreciation, rising jewelry demand, South African labor unrest (which in 2014 halted mining for five months where 80% of the world’s platinum is sourced), energy security, or an acceleration of mine closings based on the dwindling return on investment (ROI).
6. Available as an ETF
For investors looking to add exposure to these precious metals to their portfolios, exchange-traded funds offer an easy entry point. They provide access to physically-backed, liquid assets offering pure exposure to the metals without any vaulting or operational issues of a mining stock.
Takeaway for Investors
For a typical investor who probably holds less than 5% of their portfolio in alternatives like commodities, platinum and palladium provide cyclical economic exposure in contrast to gold, which is more defensive in nature. And with industrial production expected to rise this year, platinum and palladium are well- positioned for growth.
So, while most people probably don’t know where platinum and palladium reside on the periodic table, investors seeking alternatives in the commodity space may be wise to seek them out.
Commodities and futures generally are volatile and are not suitable for all investors.
Carefully consider the fund’s investment objectives, risk factors, and fees and expenses before investing. For further discussion of the risks associated with an investment in the funds please read the prospectus at www.etfsecurities.com/etfsdocs/USProspectus.aspx or visit the ETF Securities website: www.etfsecurities.com.
ALPS Distributors, Inc. is the marketing agent for ETFS Silver Trust, ETFS Gold Trust, ETFS Precious Metals Basket Trust, ETFS Platinum Trust and the ETFS Palladium Trust.
ETF 000909 3/31/17
About the Author
Nitesh Shah is a Commodities Strategist at ETF Securities. Nitesh has 13 years of experience as an economist and strategist, covering a wide range of markets and asset classes. Prior to joining ETF Securities, Nitesh was an economist covering the European structured finance markets at Moody’s Investors Service and was a member of Moody’s global macroeconomics team. Before that he was an economist at the Pension Protection Fund and an equity strategist at Decision Economics. He started his career at HSBC Investment Bank. Nitesh holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics from the London School of Economics and a Master of Arts in International Economics and Finance from Brandeis University (USA).
• Top Performer: Defence (+$7.87 billion)
• Emerging Themes: Cybersecurity (+$318 million), Uranium (+$253 million)
European thematic UCITS ETFs posted a dramatic resurgence in the first half of 2025, with net inflows of $8.73 billion year-to-date, according to ARK Invest Europe’s latest quarterly update detailing H1 2025 European thematic ETF flows.
The turnaround marks a decisive reversal from the muted flows of 2024 ($308 million net outflows for the whole of 2024), as investors rotate back into forward-looking, innovation-driven themes with clearer earnings visibility.
Defence remains the dominant thematic allocation, capturing $7.87 billion in combined net inflows between Global ($4.81 billion) and European ($3.05 billion) defence ETFs underscoring its evolution from a tactical trade to a structural portfolio allocation. Maintaining its position as the defining technological theme, AI ETFs saw $904 million in net inflows, with investor appetite fuelled by relentless innovation in large language models, robotics, and autonomous systems.
In the same period, Cybersecurity ETFs continued to rebuild momentum after significant outflows in 2024 ($311 million net outflows for H1 2024), drawing $318 million, reflecting growing investor conviction in cybersecurity as a structural necessity amid rising digital threats.
Clean Energy ETFs saw outflows of $307 million. As policy momentum stalls in key markets, investors are increasingly selective within the energy transition space. Capital is rotating toward subsectors with clearer economic moats, such as nuclear and grid infrastructure. Supporting this sentiment, Uranium ETFs rank fifth at $253 million, reflecting growing investor interest in the nuclear sector as a potential solution to global energy needs.
Healthcare Innovation ETFs recorded net outflows of $279 million. The drawdown reveals investor caution around legacy biotech firms with uncertain drug pipelines and reimbursement risks. Interest is shifting toward AI-driven healthcare platforms offering faster innovation cycles and more scalable business models.
Electric Vehicles and Battery Tech ETFs saw net outflows of $203 million as investor enthusiasm cools amid subsidy rollbacks and plateauing EV demand in major markets. Persistent concerns around battery raw materials and production bottlenecks have further weighed on the theme.
Rahul Bhushan says, “After a cautious 2024, it’s evident that investors are re-engaging with innovation themes that offer clearer earnings visibility and resilience in an increasingly complex macro landscape. We’re seeing investor conviction in megatrends with structural tailwinds, particularly defence, AI, and energy security. Thematics are no longer just tactical bets, they’re core strategic exposures.”
2025/2024 Comparative Study
Thematics are back
After a weak 2024, investor appetite for thematic risk has returned in force:
• H1 2025 total net inflows: +$8.74B
• That’s a sharp reversal from -$791M in H2 2024 and only +$483M in H1 2024
• The rotation is clear: capital is moving back into forward-looking themes with stronger earnings visibility.
Defence is now a structural trade
• Global and Europe Defence saw a combined $7.87B in inflows in H1 2025 and $1.59B in June alone.
• This continues a multi-quarter surge as geopolitical tensions, rising military budgets, and renewed industrial policy drive long-term allocations.
• Defence is no longer a tactical trade—it’s becoming a core exposure.
AI inflows normalise, but conviction remains
• Artificial Intelligence ETFs drew $904M in H1 2025, following $1.47B in H1 2024.
• Inflows may be slowing, but investor conviction is holding firm.
• With earnings delivery now catching up to narrative, AI remains a centrepiece of thematic portfolios.
Cybersecurity shows signs of stabilisation
After brutal outflows in 2024 (-$311M H1, -$260M H2), cybersecurity ETFs finally saw inflows:
• $318M in H1 2025, including $67M in June.
• This rebound suggests investors are once again prioritising digital resilience in an AI-driven world.
Infrastructure themes are quietly regaining traction
• Global and Europe Infrastructure ETFs pulled in $284M in H1 2025, following modest gains in H2 2024.
• Infrastructure is benefiting from government stimulus, defence modernisation, and the reshoring trade.
Uranium’s steady climb continues
• $253M in H1 2025, after $216M in H2 2024 and $67M in June alone.
• Indeed, the $67M in June alone nearly matches the $66M pulled in during the entirety of H1 2024.
• A rare clean energy theme that’s bucking the downtrend, reflecting growing recognition of nuclear as a pragmatic decarbonisation solution.
Clean Energy sentiment is so bad, it might be investable
• Outflows across all periods: -$307M (H1 2025), -$505M (H2 2024), -$409M (H1 2024)
• June 2025: A mere -$8M
• Sentiment is arguably as negative as it’s ever been—yet structural drivers remain in place. The setup for a contrarian rebound is building.
About ARK Invest Europe
ARK Invest International Ltd (”ARK Invest Europe”) is a specialist thematic ETF issuer offering investors access to a unique blend of active and index strategies focused on disruptive innovation and sustainability. Established following the acquisition of Rize ETF in September 2023 by ARK Investment Management LLC, ARK Invest Europe builds on over 40 years of expertise in identifying and investing in innovations that align financial performance with positive global impact.
Through its innovation pillar and the ”ARK” range of ETFs, ARK Invest focuses on companies leading and benefiting from transformative cross-sector innovations, including robotics, energy storage, multiomic sequencing, artificial intelligence, and blockchain technology. Meanwhile, its sustainability pillar, represented by the ”Rize by ARK Invest” range of ETFs, prioritises investment opportunities that reconcile growth with sustainability, advancing solutions that fuel prosperity while promoting environmental and social progress.
Headquartered in London, United Kingdom, ARK Invest Europe is dedicated to empowering investors with purposeful investment opportunities. For more information, please visit https://europe.ark-funds.com/
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