Palladium is an extremely rare element that was fi

Palladium is an extremely rare element that was first discovered in the early 19th century. Despite a relatively short history, palladium and other platinum group metals (which include platinum, rhodium, iridium, osmium, and ruthenium) are used widely today. By some estimates, one in four products either contains a platinum group metal or uses one in the manufacturing process. Palladium, like platinum, is used widely in the manufacture of catalytic converters, creating a link between the price of the metal and the health of the global auto industry. As such, palladium as an investment vehicle has characteristics of both industrial metals such as copper and precious metals such as gold. There are a number of different options for investing in palladium, including exchange-traded futures contracts, stocks of companies engaged in the extraction and sale of the metal, and exchange-traded products