Costco is increasing its valuable metals choices, constructing on prime of its rollout final yr of gold bars, which regularly bought out inside hours. The retailer is now including 1-ounce platinum bars to its lineup. 

Described as 999.5 pure platinum, the brand new bar is Swiss-made by a refiner that has earned the Good Supply accreditation from the London Bullion Market Affiliation (LBMA), a world commerce affiliation for the valuable metals business.

Costco’s gold bars had been such successful with prospects that the retailer had hassle retaining them in inventory. After the retailer added silver cash to its lineup, Wells Fargo estimated that the chain was promoting as a lot as $200 million of gold and silver every month to its members. 

How a lot does Costco’s platinum bar price?

The platinum bar is retailing for $1,089.99 — if you may get it. 

The bar is barely bought on-line, and Costco says supply is unavailable in Nevada, Louisiana and Puerto Rico. However the Costco web site on Thursday additionally famous that the platinum bar was unavailable for supply in a number of different places all through the U.S., together with New York and Utah.

Costco did not instantly reply to a request for remark.

Is there a purchase order restrict?

Sure, Costco says it’s limiting members to at least one buy, with a most of 5 platinum bars per transaction.

Is platinum a very good funding?

The dear steel, which is utilized in jewellery in addition to for industrial objects equivalent to catalytic converters, hasn’t had the identical sort of latest efficiency as gold, which has lengthy been considered by buyers as a hedge in opposition to inflation in addition to a supply of economic stability when inventory and bond markets are risky. 

In the course of the previous yr, the spot worth for platinum has elevated about 16%, in contrast with a 42% achieve for gold, FactSet’s knowledge exhibits.

Platinum’s present spot worth is $1,004 an oz, in keeping with monetary providers firm FactSet, which implies that Costco’s worth is about 8% greater than the market worth.