did a bit more DYODD and composited the graphs for each major metal:
View attachment 82498
purple number at top is the is the total combined open interest
Some of the charts (Like gold) where the green floor is floating higher is due to the last 5 years levels not coming anywhere close to the 0 level...
ive had to manually scale the graphics in the overlays also so that the relative volumes of short and long were properly represented.
IMO. the open Shorts for palladium being so high might be due to the forecast of a .2Moz deficits in palladium this year but the expectation that next year will have a 0.3Moz surplus....
https://www.reuters.com/markets/com...arket-swing-surplus-2024-nornickel-2023-05-31
the switching of palladium out for platinum in future Catalytic designs expecting to be an ongoing trend... as well as EV takeover from combustion globally.
if that pans out, then the short holders are speculating on selling NOW to buy back when the surplus hits... buffering that interim period.
they cant EXIT the position without buying BACK though.
the problem is volume.
https://www.reuters.com/article/platinum-palladium-metals-focus-idUSKBN2X610Z
ANNUAL PALLADIUM SUPPLY/DEMAND (‘000 oz)*
2022 - 2023F - %change
SUPPLY
Mine Production 6,487 6,252 -4%
Scrap 2,793 2,775 -1%
TOTAL SUPPLY 9,280 9,027 -3%
DEMAND
Autocatalyst 8,061 8,091 0%
Jewellery 224 225 0%
Industrial 1,524 1,418 -7%
Retail investment 18 1 -93%
TOTAL DEMAND 9,826 9,735 -1%
Physical Surplus/Deficit -547 -707
Above-Ground Stocks
2022 - 2023F - %change
12,345 - 11,637 -6%
0.3Mox is.. 300 in the above ground stocks total figure.
total above ground stocks then, are thus in the range of 1 years of Mine + recycling supply.
???? What happens if people DONT buy new cars and recycle Cats from the old ones produced in the last 7 years? (scrap figures)
Im assuming that the recycling has to actually COME. from somewhere...
those nymex contracts are 100oz.. comprising ~1,210 Moz of shorts. (10% of all above ground palladium or ~20% of Mine production)
i wonder if that can really grow and be sustained over a year or 2 without something happening in Russia or Africa like power outages in El Nino that impact production.
sure, we all buy new electric cars and dont need to make any more carbon based ones right....
estimates are 40-50% of new car sales as electric by 2030
https://www.bls.gov/opub/btn/volume...uture-the-transition-to-electric-vehicles.htm
That would half the demand alone, not taking into account the composition changeup of the converters themselves..
question is... at what price point do people consider a PM worthless? or.. exit a position to seek gains elsewhere?,
especially one that still has use for hydrogen storage and electrical use?
The shorts there represent 60% of the open interest also.