And to the extent that investors remain worried about global growth, new buyers in major industrial stocks like Boeing continue to be reluctant to enter the market with any conviction.
Historically platinum has had a price premium over gold, but that changed around late September last year when a poor world economic outlook pinched industrial metals like platinum and buyers sought gold for its safe-haven status or its role as an alternative currency.
One of the biggest issues that afternoon, when the Dow Jones industrial average briefly plummeted 573 points before recovering minutes later, was the disappearance of willing buyers amid a flood of selling.
Physical gold is still available, but physical silver in particular, which appeals to smaller investors because it is more accessibly priced and has industrial uses as well as precious metal value can take a month or more to reach the hands of buyers.