Silver Price Forecast: XAG/USD extends upside to near $29.80 on renewed safe-haven demand

Silver price climbs to near $29.80 amid renewed geopolitical tensions.
US Joe Biden discusses possible ways to strike on Iran’s nuclear facility.
Investors expect the Fed to leave interest rates unchanged in the policy meeting this month.

Sagar Dua FXStreet

Silver price (XAG/USD) rises further to near $29.80 in Friday’s European session. The white metal gains as demand for safe-haven assets has improved on renewed geopolitical tensions. According to reports from Axios, US President Joe Biden discussed possible strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities with his national security team, with few weeks remaining for President-elect Donald Trump to take administration.

Axios reported that White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan presented President Biden with options for a potential US attack on Iran's nuclear sites. Historically, demand for safe-haven assets, such as Silver, improves in heightened geopolitical uncertainty.

Additionally, prospects of high inflation under the administration of Trump, as he is expected to tighten immigration controls, elevate import tariffs, and lower taxes, have also strengthened safe-haven demand. Silver tends to face high demand as investors use it as a hedge against inflation.

Meanwhile, the US Dollar (USD) edges down on Friday after a sharp rally on Thursday, with investors focusing on the US ISM Manufacturing PMI data for December, which will be published at 15:00 GMT. The Manufacturing PMI is estimated to have remained unchanged at 48.4, suggesting that factory activities contracted steadily.

10-year US Treasury yields drop to near 4.55% even though the Federal Reserve (Fed) is certain to pause the current policy-easing spell in the policy announcement on January 29.

Silver technical analysis

Silver price rebounds to near the 20-day Exponential Moving Average (EMA), which trades around $29.85. However, the outlook of the white metal remains bearish till it stays below the upward-sloping trendline, which is plotted from the February 29 low of $22.30 on a daily timeframe.

The 14-day Relative Strength Index (RSI) rebounds above 40.00. A bearish momentum would come to an end if it sustains above that level.

Looking down, the September low of $27.75 would act as key support for the Silver price. On the upside, the 50-day EMA around $30.90 would be the barrier.

Silver daily chart

Silver FAQs

Why do people invest in Silver?

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.

Which factors influence Silver prices?

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.

How does industrial demand affect Silver 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.

How do Silver prices react to Gold’s moves?

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.

Author

Sagar Dua

FXStreet

Sagar Dua is associated with the financial markets from his college days. Along with pursuing post-graduation in Commerce in 2014, he started his markets training with chart analysis.

EUR/USD holds losses near 1.1850 as US, China holidays keep trade muted

EUR/USD opens the week on a softer note, trading near 1.1860 during the Asian session on Monday. Activity is likely to remain muted, with United States markets closed for the Presidents’ Day holiday, while Mainland China is also shut for the week-long Lunar New Year break.

GBP/USD remains well bid around 1.3650

GBP/USD maintains its upside momentum in place, hovering around daily highs near 1.3650 and setting aside part of the recent three-day drop. Cable’s improved sentiment comes on the back of the Greenback’s irresolute price action, while recent hawkish comments from the BoE’s Pill also collaborate with the uptick.

Gold remains below $5,050 despite Fed rate cut bets, uncertain geopolitical tensions

Gold edges lower after registering over 2% gains in the previous session, trading around $5,030 per troy ounce during the Asian hours on Monday. However, the non-interest-bearing Gold could further gain ground following softer January Consumer Price Index figures, which reinforced expectations that the Federal Reserve could cut rates later this year.

Week ahead: Data blitz, Fed Minutes and RBNZ decision in the spotlight

The US jobs report for January, which was delayed slightly, didn’t do the dovish Fed bets any favours, as expectations of a soft print did not materialize, confounding the raft of weak job indicators seen in the prior week.

Global inflation watch: Signs of cooling services inflation

Realized inflation landed close to expectations in January, as negative base effects weighed on the annual rates. Remaining sticky inflation is largely explained by services, while tariff-driven goods inflation remains limited even in the US.

Ripple Price Forecast: XRP potential bottom could be in sight

Ripple edges up above the intraday low of $1.35 at the time of writing on Friday amid mixed price actions across the crypto market. The remittance token failed to hold support at $1.40 the previous day, reflecting risk-off sentiment amid a decline in retail and institutional sentiment.