When it comes to looking for opportunities within metals and critical materials, there are oftentimes two distinct dynamics investors can take advantage of: energy demand and preservation of wealth.
- Gold, copper, and uranium have seen significant attention due to their merits as either a store of value of industrial component in the energy field.
- However, silver offers a strong case for portfolios, given that the metal operates both as a store of value and as a crucial conduit for energy grids.
- Investors can access the silver theme in their portfolios through a fund like SLVR.
Currently, many investors and advisors are using copper and uranium to capitalize on the growing need for electricity and nuclear energy. Meanwhile, gold offers a potent use case as a diversifier and for capital preservation.
These use cases are fairly compelling, given that the need for energy is ever-growing, and macroeconomic and geopolitical risks are fortifying the need for wealth protection. Of course, one could go about tackling these needs by investing in the gold, copper, and uranium industries. However, one metal can tackle both challenges at once: silver.
Investors tend to overlook silver due to its volatility. That said, it can be a highly attractive asset to own within a portfolio. The metal, similar to that of gold, can be used to hedge against monetary policy. Plus, silver offers a plethora of practical applications and industrial purposes, given how conductive it is.
See More: A Sterling Thesis: The Long-Term Silver Investment Case
“Silver is an interesting metal for us because it’s a hybrid,” noted Tom Quigley, director and senior investment consultant at Sprott Asset Management, during an interview at Schwab IMPACT 2026. “It has historically lived in gold’s shadow. Last year, we saw silver step out of gold’s shadow as its industrial uses attracted greater attention. The U.S. added it to its list of critical materials in 2025. We think of silver as the hybrid metal. It has monetary characteristics, but about 59% of its use is driven by industrial applications, including photovoltaics and EVs. Silver’s an interesting one. We viewed last year as a repricing from a monetary metal into an industrial metal. It plays dual roles as both a monetary asset and a critical material.”
For those interested in what silver can bring to the table, allocating to silver miners could prove to be an appealing strategy. Silver miners can leverage the dual use cases within the precious metal to potentially tap into attractive long-term capital appreciation.
Sprott offers straightforward access to both silver miners and physical silver itself through the Sprott Silver Miners & Physical Silver ETF . SLVR invests in a mix of silver equities and physical silver, allowing investors and advisors to access the theme through the convenience of the ETF wrapper.
For more news, information, and analysis, visit the Gold/Silver/Critical Minerals Content Hub.
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Past performance is no guarantee of future results. One cannot invest directly in an index.
Funds that emphasize investments in small/mid-cap companies will generally experience greater price volatility. Diversification does not eliminate the risk of investment losses. ETFs are considered to have continuous liquidity because they allow an individual to trade throughout the day. A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses, affect the Fund’s performance.
Sprott Asset Management USA, Inc. is the Investment Adviser to the ETFs. ALPS Distributors, Inc. is the Distributor for the ETFs and is a registered broker-dealer and FINRA Member. ALPS Distributors, Inc. is not affiliated with Sprott Asset Management USA, Inc. or VettaFi.
Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs): SETM, LITP, URNM, URNJ, COPP, COPJ, NIKL, SGDM, SGDJ, SLVR, GBUG, METL, and REXC
Physical Bullion Funds: PHYS, PSLV, CEF, and SPPP.
Gold and precious metals are referred to with terms of art like store of value, safe haven and safe asset. These terms should not be construed to guarantee any form of investment safety. While “safe” assets like gold, Treasuries, money market funds and cash generally do not carry a high risk of loss relative to other asset classes, any asset may lose value, which may involve the complete loss of invested principal.