CHUO-KU, Japan -- Head of Investment Analysis Mr. Nathan Marx, and Senior Vice President of Mergers and Acquisitions at Tokyo based, boutique equity research house Harver Group today released a positive co-written report on the potential of the precious metals sector, focusing on gold, silver, palladium and platinum.

Gold - During the last twelve months gold has not been the safe haven of returns that it once was, but it’s finally making a stand. Last Tuesday it gained 1% of its value closing at $1,246.90 an ounce. The recent jump in the value can be linked to the release of the minutes of the US Federal Reserve. It’s still down more than 33% from its record highs near $1,900 in September of 2011, but potentially undervalued.

Silver - Silver is presenting itself as a bullish choice among commodities. It has proven itself to be both a safe haven asset as well as key component in manufacturing from industries ranging from batteries to automobiles. Gold cannot make a similar claim and yet continues to be a favorite among investors. Silver finished at over $20 an ounce last week.

Palladium - Palladium has the potential to recover from its current slump. In the short term, demand for palladium is low; China´s imports have fallen to their lowest level since February of 2009. The supply of products produced with palladium has declined, but sustained growth in sales is required before it make a lasting recovery.

We expect demand to increase from the auto industry in key regions such as North America and China this year. Supply problems may also boost value, as finding viable mines remains challenging.

Platinum - Platinum has recently been on a roller coaster ride oscillating between factors increasing its value, such as the increasing supply problems in South Africa and; factors decreasing its value, such as the drop in demand from the auto industry. With high supply and weak demand we expect platinum to be at deficit for a second straight year, perhaps this year´s will be larger than the last.