Much has been made of the rise of gold and silver over the past few years, but particularly over the last 12 months. Both precious metals have shot the moon, with gold up 73.5% since this time last year, and silver blowing it out of the water with its 205% surge. But another precious metal has been flying higher too, and somewhat more under the radar than its two more illustrious cousins. That precious metal is platinum. We might be more familiar with platinum as a marketing term than as an investment. But investors can and do buy platinum for many of the same reasons they buy gold or silver.
It is a scarce metal, scarcer even than gold, as it happens. Additionally, it shares many of the same qualities as gold, including invulnerability to wear and corrosion, and stable electrical properties. Like silver (and unlike gold), platinum also has extensive industrial applications, most notably in the catalytic converters found in most vehicles these days.
A year ago today, platinum was going for US$969 per ounce. Today, that same ounce is worth US$1,944 at the time of writing, a 12-month gain worth just over 100%. So platinum has outpaced gold as an investment over this period.
As such, many investors might wish to know how one actually buys platinum. As with silver, there are two methods one can employ if they wish to invest in this lesser-known precious metal.
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How to buy platinum as an investment in 2026
Bullion: Bars and coins
The first method is also the most straightforward. Investors can buy physical platinum bullion in either coin or bar form. Like gold or silver, platinum bullion is readily available from most precious metal dealerships. The range of options is far narrower than its more popular cousins, but many prominent mints issue their flagship products in platinum form.
As with gold and silver bullion, many investors might regard physical ownership as the purest and most legitimate way to invest in this precious metal. But platinum bullion also carries some of the same risks. Investors will have to pay a hefty premium over the spot price for their bars or coins when purchasing. Additionally, there are transportation, storage, and insurance costs to consider.
That's why the second method might appeal to some investors more.
Buy a platinum ETF
Again, as with gold and silver, investors also have the option of using exchange-traded funds (ETFs) to buy platinum. A platinum ETF works in a similar manner to a gold ETF. The fund owns a physical store of platinum bullion, with its units representing an ownership stake of said store. Investors then indirectly invest in this store by buying or selling those units, which should rise and fall in value alongside the raw price of platinum itself.
Unlike gold, though, the options on the ASX are fairly limited for would-be platinum investors. The only real option investors have is the Global X Physical Platinum ETF (ASX: ETPMPT). This ETF holds a valuable stockpile of platinum in a London vault, with units of the fund representing this stockpile. Like the Metal itself, ETPMPT units have surged in value over the past 12 months.
An ETF like this one means investors can invest in (and out of) platinum as easily as shares, without having to take custody of physical metal itself.
This doesn't come free, though. The Global X Physical Platinum ETF charges a management fee of 0.49% per annum for its services.
