PL · Metals / Cross-Asset Coherence Regime
Z4308 – PL CHIRPS South Africa Bushveld
Bushveld dominates global PGM supply. Drought + heat stress -> Eskom power constraints -> mine-shaft ventilation/cooling outages -> production loss. 2008 + 2022 South African load-shedding episodes we
At a glance
IN-SEASON · ACTIVE
Current reading
-0.696
PL CHIRPS South Africa Bushveld composite, tanh-bounded
Signal state
Moderate NEG
116 trading days in current state
Phase
HEALTHY
Positive equals bushveld precip surplus; negative equals bushveld precip deficit
Sample
36 years
Live since 1990-12
As of Nov 04, 2026. Updated nightly.
SIGNAL OVERVIEW
Bushveld dominates global PGM supply. Drought + heat stress -> Eskom power constraints -> mine-shaft ventilation/cooling outages -> production loss. 2008 + 2022 South African load-shedding episodes were canonical PL/PA premium drivers. Same mechanic potentially serves PA. The composite is bounded between minus one and plus one through tanh. Across 36 years Phase +1 bushveld precip surplus state has returned on average minus 0.38 percent forward 60-day platinum return. Phase -1 bushveld precip deficit state has returned on average plus 2.73 percent. Today the composite reads -0.696, in Moderate NEG territory.
LIVE CHART
PL CHIRPS South Africa Bushveld: composite bounded minus one to plus one.
The dark line in the top panel is the composite bounded between minus one and plus one. The pale red band marks bushveld precip deficit regime. The pale green band marks bushveld precip surplus regime. The bronze line in the middle panel is the trailing 252-day rolling Spearman information coefficient. The lower panel is NYMEX platinum continuous back-adjusted price on the right axis in cents per ounce.
COMPOSITE
-0.696 / tanh
STATE
(nightly)
PHASE
(nightly)
FWD 60d
(nightly, baseline +1.63 percent)
SAMPLE N
9,020 days
TODAY’S PLAYBOOK READING
STATE
Moderate Neg
STATE AND HISTORY
Moderate NEG. Sample N=9,020 days since 1990-12.
WHY THE SIGNAL IS HERE
Bushveld dominates global PGM supply. Drought + heat stress -> Eskom power constraints -> mine-shaft ventilation/cooling outages -> production loss. 2008 + 2022 South African load-shedding episodes were canonical PL/PA premium drivers. Same mechanic potentially serves PA.
POSTURE FOR THE WEEKS AHEAD
The signal is a regime detector on a 60-day forward horizon. Pair with price momentum signals for conviction.
WHAT THE CHART SHOWS
Today the composite reads -0.696 placing the dot inside the Moderate NEG band.
TOP INPUTS FIRING
- Silver returns Primary silver price momentum.
- 10-year TIPS-implied inflation breakeven Market-implied inflation expectation.
- Rolling coherence trend 5-year first-difference of coherence at 170-day cycles.
THE REGIME MAP
The three regime phases, forward 60-day platinum returns and sample share
Baseline platinum forward 60 day return (unconditional): mean plus 1.63 percent, median plus 1.22 percent, across 8,960 trading days.
| State | Phase | Share | Fwd 60d | HAC t | Edge vs baseline | Last firings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bushveld precip surplus TODAY | +1 | 50.6% (4567 d) | -0.27% | -1.90pp | May 2026, Apr 2026, May 2025 | |
| Normal | 0 | 15.8% (1427 d) | +2.54% | +0.91pp | May 2026, Apr 2026, Mar 2026 | |
| Bushveld precip deficit | -1 | 33.5% (3026 d) | +4.04% | +2.40pp | Apr 2026, Mar 2026, Feb 2026 |
The historical pattern
How to use the signal today
THE TRACK RECORD
State changes
| State | Start | End | Duration | Fwd 60d SPY |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Normal | 10/28/2024 | 11/05/2024 | 7d | +3.19% |
| Extreme Pos (silver Compressed) | 11/06/2024 | 11/06/2024 | 1d | +2.23% |
| Normal | 11/07/2024 | 11/07/2024 | 1d | +1.80% |
| Extreme Pos (silver Compressed) | 11/08/2024 | 11/11/2024 | 2d | +0.43% |
| Normal | 11/12/2024 | 11/20/2024 | 7d | +1.41% |
| Extreme Pos (silver Compressed) | 11/21/2024 | 12/02/2024 | 7d | +1.06% |
| Normal | 12/03/2024 | 12/11/2024 | 7d | -4.48% |
| Extreme Pos (silver Compressed) | 12/12/2024 | 09/24/2025 | 196d | -8.76% |
| Normal | 09/25/2025 | 10/09/2025 | 11d | +3.24% |
| Extreme Pos (silver Compressed) | 10/10/2025 | 10/10/2025 | 1d | +5.60% |
| Normal | 10/13/2025 | 10/17/2025 | 5d | +3.99% |
| Extreme Pos (silver Compressed) | 10/20/2025 | 10/27/2025 | 6d | +3.12% |
| Normal | 10/28/2025 | 11/11/2025 | 11d | +0.83% |
| Extreme Neg (silver Outperforming) | 11/12/2025 | 11/13/2025 | 2d | +1.28% |
| Normal | 11/14/2025 | 11/17/2025 | 2d | +1.39% |
| Extreme Neg (silver Outperforming) | 11/18/2025 | 11/20/2025 | 3d | +3.45% |
| Normal | 11/21/2025 | 11/25/2025 | 3d | +4.61% |
| Extreme Neg (silver Outperforming) | 11/26/2025 | 10/26/2026 | 229d | +1.98% |
Scroll inside the table for the full history. Forward 60-day SPY is measured from each run’s start date; a reader cannot trade off a start-date they only identify in hindsight, so this is a transparency log, not an alpha claim. Asterisked (*) returns are partial. The run is less than 60 trading days old. The full 60-day comparable fills in as more data arrives.
What this measures
Bushveld dominates global PGM supply. Drought + heat stress -> Eskom power constraints -> mine-shaft ventilation/cooling outages -> production loss. 2008 + 2022 South African load-shedding episodes were canonical PL/PA premium drivers. Same mechanic potentially serves PA. The composite is z-scored against a trailing baseline and bounded through tanh.
Why it matters
Bushveld dominates global PGM supply. Drought + heat stress -> Eskom power constraints -> mine-shaft ventilation/cooling outages -> production loss. 2008 + 2022 South African load-shedding episodes were canonical PL/PA premium drivers. Same mechanic potentially serves PA.
The signal flags the current platinum regime for the next 60 trading days on average. Pair with price-based signals for precise entry.
State-conditional spreads are empirical averages across 36 years. Individual regime windows can run longer or shorter than mean sample.
Signal consumers and siblings
Not investment advice · The analysis on this page is informational and educational. Signal readings, historical case figures, and empirical statistics are derived from publicly available data and are provided without warranty. Hypothetical performance results have inherent limitations, including the benefit of hindsight. Readers who intend to trade should consult a licensed investment professional and see the research brief for the full disclaimer.
Last refreshed Nov 06, 2026 05:25 PM ET