Silver Price Forecast: XAG/USD tumbles to near $38.50 as US Dollar rebounds

• Silver price slumps to near $38.50 in Wednesday’s Asian session. 

• Concerns about Fed independence could boost safe-haven flows and cap the Silver price’s downside. 

• The US July PCE Price Index report will be closely watched later on Friday. 

The Silver price (XAG/USD) attracts some sellers to around $38.50 during the Asian trading hours on Wednesday. The white metal retreats from a two-week low due to some profit-taking and a stronger US Dollar (USD). Nonetheless, renewed concerns over the US Federal Reserve’s (Fed) independence might cap the downside for XAG/USD. 

Traders continue to assess US President Donald Trump’s move to fire Federal Reserve (Fed) Governor Lisa Cook. Late Tuesday, Trump said that he will soon have a “majority” of his own nominees on the Fed board of governors who will back his desire to cut the interest rates. In response, Fed Governor Lisa Cook said Trump has no authority to fire her from the central bank, and she will not resign. 

Trump’s action to fire Cook is seen as an effort to exert control over the Federal Reserve and potentially influence monetary policy, raising concerns over the central bank’s independence. This, in turn, could weigh on the Greenback and lift the USD-denominated commodity price. 

Furthermore, rising bets of a Fed rate cut next month could underpin the white metal. Fed Chair Jerome Powell has opened the door to a rate reduction in the September meeting, but that position could become complicated if inflation pressures continue to rise. Lower interest rates could reduce the opportunity cost of holding Silver, supporting the non-yielding white metal. 

All eyes will be on the release of the US Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) Price Index report for July, which is due later on Friday. If the reports show a hotter-than-expected inflation outcome, this could limit the Fed’s ability to lower rates, supporting the USD and dragging the Silver price lower.