Precious Metals: Global Markets

Report Highlights

The global precious metals market totaled $290.0 billion in 2012 and $217.1 billion in 2013. The market should reach $323.2 billion by 2019, a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.9% between 2013 and 2019.

Report Includes

• An overview of the global market for precious metals and related technologies.
• Analyses of global market trends, with data from 2012 and 2013, forecasts for 2019, and projections of compound annual growth rates (CAGRs) through 2019.
• Vital market information concerning sales, application markets, customers, and potential end-use markets.
• Information on the industry's dynamics including market drivers, restraints, and opportunities.
• Details about the various processes and technologies used to obtain these metals.
• Comprehensive profiles of major players in the field.

Report Scope

In the previous research report, AVM068A, published in 2009, BCC Research analyzed the global markets for metals, precious metals and recycled metals. The global precious metals market in 2008 was analyzed to be $157.9 billion, with a projected growth to $259.2 billion in 2013, for an estimated CAGR of 10.4%.

Based on the market feedback, BCC Research felt it was appropriate to dedicate a full report on the precious metals market, hence this report in 2014 dedicated to this segment of the global metals market.

The main objective of this report is to understand the current market scenario, the growth in the past few years, potential future growth and the changes taking place in the precious metals marketplace.

Another objective of this report is to review each of the gold, silver and platinum group metals (PGM) segments of the markets separately, to understand both the primary metals markets as well as the various application segments for each.

The oldest and the most established application segment for this industry is jewelry. However, several other applications, mainly technological applications, are gaining a share of the market. Several applications for gold, silver, platinum and palladium are propelling markets such as automotive, industrial and other niche areas, where the metal actually performs chemical and metallurgical functions other than aesthetics and perceived value of the jewelry segment. A key objective of this report to understand the size and nature of this segment, including who the major players are.

Another objective of the report is to create a better understanding of the various central banks and their role in the precious metals market. Central banks of various countries have been buying and sometimes selling gold as part of their diversification strategy on their reserves. These investors are large enough to impact the global market for precious metals and hence they are analyzed in depth.

Another market segment that has been impacting the global precious metals prices is the emergence of Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs). ETFs, which were nonexistent in the precious metals markets only a few decades ago, have become active enough to be another controlling segment in the marketplace for precious metals and their prices. The impact and influence of these players are also discussed in detail.

Finally, in the last decade there has been an emergence of an organized gold loan business, especially in India. The growth rate of this industry has been staggering, and has played a key role in the monetization of many people’s jewelry investments. The report looks at this industry segment and discusses whether the market concept has a place in other countries as well.

Analyst Credentials

Vijay Subramanian has a Ph.D. in Materials Science from the University of Cincinnati, and extensive experience in the field of materials and their global markets. He worked for more than a decade in the automotive industry in the U.S., and later in India, and owns several U.S. patents. Dr. Subramanian has authored reports for BCC Research since 2012. Dr. Subramanian lives with his wife and two daughters in Kochi, India.