By Dave McCombs Nov. 5 (Bloomberg) -- Platinum futures in Tokyo rallied for a fifth time in six days as rising expectations that the U.S. government will increase spending and fuel inflation prompted investors to buy the metal as a store of value. Futures have soared 16 percent since Oct. 27, the best six- day performance since Feb. 19. The metal is also gaining as some traders said the election of Barack Obama as president of the United States may lead to a bigger fiscal stimulus, helping revive demand for cars, which use platinum in exhaust filters. ``All of a sudden, we could be in a demand-push environment and have rising inflation,'' Jonathan Barratt, managing director of Commodity Broking Services in Sydney, said today by phone. ``That's why we are seeing this rally and we may see stronger commodity prices for a while.'' Platinum for October delivery jumped 1.3 percent to close at 2,673 yen a gram ($843 an ounce) on the Tokyo Commodity Exchange. Metal for immediate delivery gained $6.50 to $858 at 9:21 a.m. in London, a 0.8 percent gain from yesterday in New York. Obama has urged Congress to pass a $175 billion economic stimulus bill immediately after the election. The package includes checks for consumers, a tax credit for job creation and spending on public works such as school repairs, roads and bridges. To contact the reporter for this story: Dave McCombs in Tokyo at dmccombs@bloomberg.net

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