Silver price (XAG/USD) extends its losses for the third consecutive day, trading around $58.30 per troy ounce during the European hours on Wednesday. The non-yielding white metal struggled as renewed Middle East escalations threatened the interim United States (US)-Iran peace deal. The conflict drove oil prices higher, stoking fresh inflation fears and raising the prospect of higher interest rates, which further weighed on the non-interest-bearing asset.
The tentative ceasefire between the US and Iran has officially collapsed after US President Donald Trump declared the truce finished during the annual NATO summit in Ankara. Sitting alongside NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Trump stated that he considers the agreement over, calling it “just a waste of time” and raising the immediate prospect of renewed military conflict between the two nations. The breakdown in diplomacy was immediately followed by economic action, as the US revoked a critical sanctions waiver that had previously permitted Iran to sell crude oil on global markets.
This sudden re-escalation has rapidly injected volatility into the energy sector, as the hostile environment discourages regional producers and commercial shipowners from navigating the Strait of Hormuz. With shipping companies actively avoiding the volatile chokepoint, concerns are mounting over severe, renewed disruptions to the global energy supply.
Meanwhile, financial and commodity markets are balancing these geopolitical anxieties against upcoming macroeconomic data, as traders look to the minutes of the Federal Reserve’s June meeting for clues on interest rates. While silver had recently rebounded on the back of softer-than-expected US jobs data, which prompted investors to scale back expectations for near-term Fed rate hikes, the sudden conflict in the Middle East has clouded the horizon, leaving the broader policy and market outlook highly uncertain.
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.