Silver Price Forecast: XAG/USD dips to near $72.50 as CME raises margins
- Silver price came under pressure after the CME increased margin requirements on Silver futures.
- The grey metal is set for an annual gain exceeding 150% in 2025, marking its strongest yearly performance.
- December FOMC Minutes showed most participants favored pausing further rate cuts if inflation continues to decline.
Silver price (XAG/USD) has lost its nearly a 4.5% gain registered in the previous session, trading around $72.50 during the Asian hours on Wednesday. Silver prices came under pressure after the CME raised margin requirements on Silver futures, prompting leveraged traders to reduce positions as prices became technically stretched. Analysts said the pullback reflected position unwinding rather than any deterioration in underlying demand.
However, Silver prices are on track for an annual gain of over 150% in 2025, marking the metal’s strongest yearly performance. The rally accelerated after US President Donald Trump’s global tariff rollout and has been further supported by persistent geopolitical tensions, US rate cuts, and strong industrial demand, especially from the solar, electronics, and data-center sectors.
Silver’s rally has also been driven by a surge in speculative demand in China, pushing Shanghai Futures Exchange premiums to record highs. The elevated premiums signal intense local demand and have tightened global supply chains, mirroring earlier inventory squeezes in London and New York vaults.
Meanwhile, the Federal Open Market Committee’s (FOMC) December Meeting Minutes, released Tuesday, showed most participants favored pausing further rate cuts if inflation continues to ease. Some officials also argued for holding rates steady after three cuts this year aimed at supporting a weakening labor market.
The demand for safe-haven metals, including silver, increases over the geopolitical tensions, Uncertainty over a Russia-Ukraine peace deal, renewed Middle East tensions, and frictions between the US and Venezuela.
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.
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