[World Platinum Investment Council: Platinum Market Expected to Shift to Slight Surplus This Year] According to the latest quarterly report from the World Platinum Investment Council (WPIC), the global platinum market is projected to see a supply surplus of 265,000 ounces in 2026, compared to the previous forecast of a deficit of 297,000 ounces. This adjustment is primarily due to a downward revision of annual investment demand by 601,000 ounces. In the second quarter, platinum supply reached 1.906 million ounces, while demand was 1.663 million ounces, resulting in a surplus of 244,000 ounces. Driven by factors such as large-scale sell-offs by investors, the platinum market, after three consecutive years of deficits, is expected to shift to a supply surplus this year. At the beginning of the year, precious metals were caught in an investment frenzy, with platinum surging to a historic high of nearly $3,000 per ounce. However, this rally reversed sharply, and platinum has since fallen by more than one-third from its January peak. WPIC now forecasts a supply surplus of 8.2 tons in 2026, compared to an earlier prediction of a deficit of 9.2 tons earlier this year.