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Silver (XAG/USD) advances toward $56.90 per troy ounce on Monday at the time of writing, gaining 1.6% on the day. The precious metal continues to benefit from safe-haven demand as geopolitical tensions in the Middle East keep risk sentiment under pressure.The United States (US) has carried out a ninth consecutive night of strikes against Iranian targets. In response, Tehran considers the ceasefire between the two countries effectively over, raising concerns about further disruptions to key regional energy supply routes. Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said that intermediaries have delivered messages to Tehran in recent days aimed at reducing tensions, while stressing that diplomacy remains a tool to pursue the country's national interests.
Concerns intensified further after Yemen's Houthis announced a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia, raising fears of additional disruptions to energy trade. Against this backdrop, West Texas Intermediate (WTI) Oil rebounded from daily lows to near $82.00 per barrel at the time of press, increasing the risk of renewed inflationary pressures.
Higher energy prices are reinforcing expectations of further monetary tightening. Speaking on Friday, Federal Reserve (Fed) of Cleveland President Beth Hammack said inflation remains persistent, strengthening expectations that interest rates could remain higher for longer. According to the CME FedWatch tool, markets now assign a 55.3% chance to a Fed rate hike in September.
The prospect of higher interest rates is typically a headwind for Silver as the precious metal does not generate yield. However, strong safe-haven demand driven by geopolitical tensions is currently allowing the white metal to maintain a bullish bias despite this unfavorable backdrop.
Silver FAQs Silver is a precious metal highly traded among investors. It has been historically used as a store of value and a medium of exchange. Although less popular than Gold, traders may turn to Silver to diversify their investment portfolio, for its intrinsic value or as a potential hedge during high-inflation periods. Investors can buy physical Silver, in coins or in bars, or trade it through vehicles such as Exchange Traded Funds, which track its price on international markets.
Silver prices can move due to a wide range of factors. Geopolitical instability or fears of a deep recession can make Silver price escalate due to its safe-haven status, although to a lesser extent than Gold's. As a yieldless asset, Silver tends to rise with lower interest rates. Its moves also depend on how the US Dollar (USD) behaves as the asset is priced in dollars (XAG/USD). A strong Dollar tends to keep the price of Silver at bay, whereas a weaker Dollar is likely to propel prices up. Other factors such as investment demand, mining supply – Silver is much more abundant than Gold – and recycling rates can also affect prices.
Silver is widely used in industry, particularly in sectors such as electronics or solar energy, as it has one of the highest electric conductivity of all metals – more than Copper and Gold. A surge in demand can increase prices, while a decline tends to lower them. Dynamics in the US, Chinese and Indian economies can also contribute to price swings: for the US and particularly China, their big industrial sectors use Silver in various processes; in India, consumers’ demand for the precious metal for jewellery also plays a key role in setting prices.
Silver prices tend to follow Gold's moves. When Gold prices rise, Silver typically follows suit, as their status as safe-haven assets is similar. The Gold/Silver ratio, which shows the number of ounces of Silver needed to equal the value of one ounce of Gold, may help to determine the relative valuation between both metals. Some investors may consider a high ratio as an indicator that Silver is undervalued, or Gold is overvalued. On the contrary, a low ratio might suggest that Gold is undervalued relative to Silver.