Silver price (XAG/USD) retraces its recent gains registered in the previous session, trading around $36.00 per troy ounce during the early European hours on Tuesday. The technical analysis of the daily chart shows the price of the precious metal remains within an ascending channel pattern, which suggests a prevailing bullish bias.
Additionally, the 14-day Relative Strength Index (RSI) is still positioned above the 50 level, indicating a persistent bullish outlook. However, the Silver price remains below the nine-day Exponential Moving Average (EMA), highlighting that the short-term momentum is weaker.
The XAG/USD pair could find its immediate barrier at the nine-day EMA of $36.16. A successful breach above this level would strengthen the short-term price momentum and support the pair to test the $37.32, the highest since February 2012. Further advances would open the door for the Silver price to explore the region around the upper boundary of the ascending channel around $39.50.
On the downside, the Silver price is testing the ascending channel’s lower boundary around $36.00. A successful break below the channel would cause the emergence of the bearish bias and put downward pressure on the XAG/USD pair to test the 50-day EMA at $34.36. Further decline would dampen the medium-term price momentum and prompt the price of Silver to navigate the region around the two-month low at $31.65, which was recorded on May 15.
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.