The 2012 Precious Metal Review.

Here is the Roundup of all the Precious Metals and how they did in 2012. 

(Apologies for the lateness of this post, been busy =)

Last Year, of all the precious metals, Silver was the hands down winner at 8.27%,
followed by Platinum at 7.75%,
then Palladium at 6.77%
and finally, in last place, was Gold at 6.04%.

This would seem to back the views of those who see Silver as the PM likely to gain the most value.
Note that none of the precious metals declined in value overall this year.

Firstly, Silver, the years winner

• Over the year, Silver gained 8.27% (2.23% more than gold).

• It's Highest value for the year was $37.501 on the 29th of February.

• It's Lowest value for the year $26.266 on the 28th of June.

As you can see in the chart, the second peak in the 3rd quarter did not break $35, which means that silver has remained below that level since late February. Therefore, I would look at 35 as the place to look for a breakout, with the top limit, of course, being $37.5.

In Second place, Platinum.

• Over this year, Platinum has gained 7.75% (more than Gold, but less than Silver)

• It's Highest value for the year was $1735.76 on the 29th of February.

• It's Lowest value for the year was $1375.38 on 24th of July.

At the original time of writing, Platinum was still worth less than Gold and thus an excellent buy. Since then, it has passed the value of Gold, however I believe it still has potential for significant upside.

In third place, Palladium.

• Over the Last Year, Palladium has gained 6.77% this year. (0.73% more than Gold)

• It's highest value for the year was $725.07 on the 29th of February

• It's lowest value for the year was $555.34 on the 24th of July.

And finally, in last place, Gold.

• Over the year, Gold gained a total of 6.04%.

• It's highest value for the year was $1796.02 on 5th of October.

• It's lowest value for the year was $1527.15 on the 16th of May.

As you can see from the chart, Gold seems to have a hard upper limit of 1800 that was not broken the entire year. It is my belief that when we see a breakthrough of that level, then things will really begin to heat up.

In conclusion, the fact that Silver is the years winner is no surprise. As we move into 2013, the Silver shortage is beginning to become more acute. It is only a matter of time before the public begin to notice and Gold and Silver hoarding starts in earnest.

Christopher Carrion.