Silver Price Forecasts: XAG/USD holds below $80 as hopes of US-Iran peace wane
- Silver consolidates below $80 after peaking at one-month highs above $83 on Friday.
- The precious metal trims gains as investors pare back hopes of a swift end to the US-Iran war
- Technically, XAG/USD remains trading within the upside channel from late March lows.
Silver (XAG/USD) has retreated nearly $4 from the monthly high right above $83.00 hit last Friday, as the precious metal consolidates immediately below the $80.00 level, with investors returning to the safe-haven US Dollar (USD), with the Middle East peace process under pressure.
A spokesperson from the Iranian foreign ministry affirmed earlier on Monday that Tehran will skip the second round of negotiations scheduled to resume in Pakistan on Tuesday. This comes after the seizure of an Iranian-flagged cargo vessel by the US army on Sunday, which was condemned by Tehran as an “aggressive act” and a violation of the ceasefire agreement.
Technical Analysis: XAG/USD remains within an ascending channel
XAG/USD trades at $79.50, consolidating near the bottom of an upward channel from March 23 lows. Technical indicators on the 4-hour chart are broadly neutral as investors await further developments before making investment decisions.
The Relative Strength Index (RSI) has flatlined around the 50 line, highlighting a balanced momentum, while the Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) remains in negative territory, hinting that bullish attempts could face headwinds.
Initial support is located at the channel floor near $78.80, ahead of a previous resistance, now turned support right below $78.00 (April 8 high, April 16,17 lows). Further down, the next target is the April 10 low near $72.60.
On the topside, immediate resistance emerges at $80.80, which is holding bulls on Monday. Above that level, bulls would aim for Friday's high, at $83.06.
(The technical analysis of this story was written with the help of an AI tool.)
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.
Author
Guillermo Alcala
FXStreet
Graduated in Communication Sciences at the Universidad del Pais Vasco and Universiteit van Amsterdam, Guillermo has been working as financial news editor and copywriter in diverse Forex-related firms, like FXStreet and Kantox.
