|

XAG/USD forecast: Silver gears for breakout – Is Silver the next Gold?

  • Silver consolidates near $51, preparing for a breakout as the market digests a 4-hour volume imbalance ($51.118–$52.395).
  • The metal remains supported by strong industrial demand, tight supply, and safe-haven inflows similar to gold’s earlier rally.
  • A 4H close above $52.395 could send silver toward $54–$55, while failure below $50.60 risks a dip into $49.66 before re-accumulation.

Silver gathers Momentum beneath $54 – Following Gold’s footsteps

Chart

Silver has entered a tension-filled holding pattern — not weak, just waiting for ignition.

After rallying to $54/oz, its highest in more than a decade, the market is now consolidating just below that level, mirroring gold’s earlier pattern before its own explosive breakout.

The reason? The metal is balancing order flow inside a critical 4-hour Fair Value Gap (FVG) between $51.118–$52.395 — a zone where prior selling created inefficiency.

Price currently sits at $50.75, testing buyers’ commitment as volume compresses and liquidity builds.

This “pause before propulsion” could define silver’s next major phase — and traders are watching whether it repeats gold’s parabolic move.

Silver mirrors Gold’s macro tailwinds

Industrial demand still rising:

Silver’s dual role — industrial metal and monetary hedge — keeps it in demand. The solar and EV sectors continue to consume record levels of silver, straining mine output in Mexico, Peru, and China.

Physical shortage deepens:

Physical silver inventories at London and COMEX remain near multi-year lows, forcing refiners to reroute supply from Asia. This supply squeeze underpins the spot premium and keeps futures backwardated.

Safe-haven flows pick up:

With the U.S. shutdown dragging on and investors bracing for further Fed cuts, funds are once again rotating into metals. As gold flirts with $4,500, silver is attracting renewed speculative inflows aiming to catch “the next gold-style breakout.”

Technical outlook: Silver mirroring Gold?

Chart

Silver’s structure remains constructively bullish, though tactically neutral within the current balance.

The 4-hour volume imbalance ($51.118–$52.395) acts as the pivot — a zone where supply met demand but delivery remains unfinished.

Price is compressing between this imbalance and immediate support at $49.665.

When that compression breaks, momentum should accelerate sharply.

Key technical levels

Type

Price Zone

Technical Role

All-Time High

$54.000

Liquidity target

H4 Volume Imbalance (FVG)

$51.118 – $52.395

Control zone / re-pricing area

Immediate Support

$49.665

Short-term liquidity base

Bullish Targets

$53 → $54 → $55

Expansion levels

Bearish Targets

$49.00 → $47.80

Re-pricing zones

Bullish scenario – Reclaiming the 4H volume imbalance

Chart

Silver’s repeated defense of $50–$50.70 shows buy-side absorption.

If price reclaims $51.118, it signals demand stepping back into imbalance territory.

Trigger:

A 4H close above $51.118 followed by a break through $52.395 confirms that sellers’ inefficiency has been filled and flipped to support.

Targets:

  • $53.00 – first liquidity magnet
  • $54.00–$55.00 – next expansion wave

Narrative:

This would mark a bullish re-balancing of volume, restoring buy-side delivery similar to gold’s prior structure.

A successful FVG reclaim transforms the zone into demand — often the prelude to a sustained breakout.

Bearish scenario – Rejection from the volume imbalance

Chart

Failure to close above $52.395 or repeated rejections inside the FVG suggest sellers are still defending overhead liquidity.

Trigger:

A 4H close below $50.60 signals renewed sell-side control and continuation toward liquidity resting below $49.60.

Targets:

  • $49.665 – immediate liquidity draw
  • $48.50 → $47.80 – deeper discount territory

Narrative:

As long as $51.118 remains unclaimed, the imbalance stays bearish.

Price could slide into discount levels before rebuilding another leg higher.

Volume balance story: The pivot between two worlds

The $51.118–$52.395 zone is the line in the sand.

Volume is evenly balanced — neither bulls nor bears hold control — but this balance is unstable.

  • Above $52.395 → Buy-side imbalance resumes → breakout toward $54.
  • Below $50.60 → Sell-side imbalance resumes → draw to $49–$48.

This equilibrium reflects a coiled-spring structure: energy building beneath resistance, similar to gold’s pre-breakout profile earlier this quarter.

Final takeaway

Silver is standing at a technical crossroads that echoes gold’s structure weeks ago — tight compression, rising demand, and a visible imbalance zone waiting to break.

Reclaiming $52.395 could unleash a fast leg toward $54–$55, validating the idea that silver is becoming “the next gold.”

Failing to do so simply extends the accumulation window around $50–$49, where long-term buyers likely reload for the next wave.

Author

Jasper Osita

Jasper Osita

ACY Securities

Jasper has been in the markets since 2019 trading currencies, indices and commodities like Gold. His approach in the market is heavily accompanied by technical analysis, trading Smart Money Concepts (SMC) with fundamentals in mind.

More from Jasper Osita
Share:

Markets move fast. We move first.

Orange Juice Newsletter brings you expert driven insights - not headlines. Every day on your inbox.

By subscribing you agree to our Terms and conditions.

Editor's Picks

EUR/USD moves sideways below 1.1800 on Christmas Eve

EUR/USD struggles to find direction and trades in a narrow channel below 1.1800 after posting gains for two consecutive days. Bond and stock markets in the US will open at the usual time and close early on Christmas Eve, allowing the trading action to remain subdued. 

GBP/USD keeps range around 1.3500 amid quiet markets

GBP/USD keeps its range trade intact at around 1.3500 on Wednesday. The Pound Sterling holds the upper hand over the US Dollar amid pre-Christmas light trading as traders move to the sidelines heading into the holiday season. 

Gold retreats from record highs, trades below $4,500

Gold retreats after setting a new record-high above $4,520 earlier in the day and trades in a tight range below $4,500 as trading volumes thin out ahead of the Christmas break. The US Dollar selling bias remains unabated on the back of dovish Fed expectations, which continues to act as a tailwind for the bullion amid persistent geopolitical risks.

Bitcoin slips below $87,000 as ETF outflows intensify, whale participation declines

Bitcoin price continues to trade around $86,770 on Wednesday, after failing to break above the $90,000 resistance. US-listed spot ETFs record an outflow of $188.64 million on Tuesday, marking the fourth consecutive day of withdrawals.

Economic outlook 2026-2027 in advanced countries: Solidity test

After a year marked by global economic resilience and ending on a note of optimism, 2026 looks promising and could be a year of solid economic performance. In our baseline scenario, we expect most of the supportive factors at work in 2025 to continue to play a role in 2026.

Avalanche struggles near $12 as Grayscale files updated form for ETF

Avalanche trades close to $12 by press time on Wednesday, extending the nearly 2% drop from the previous day. Grayscale filed an updated form to convert its Avalanche-focused Trust into an ETF with the US Securities and Exchange Commission.