Silver's near-term outlook remains guarded in the face of alternative asset competition and subdued market demand.
Silver (XAG/USD) is seeing limited action in a quiet holiday market, barely budging. Compared to gold, silver’s charts are less optimistic, suggesting it might be at a risk for a downturn.
As of 08:41 GMT, Silver is modestly down, trading at $24.15. In contrast, March Comex silver futures show a slight uptick. Silver’s recent peak at $24.90, falling short of the late November high of $26.34, suggests a cautious market sentiment. Classic fundamentals for a rally are present, yet the lack of volume and demand tempers bullish expectations.
The anticipated U.S. Federal Reserve rate cuts, typically supportive of silver prices, are currently overshadowed by the inverse relationship seen in U.S. Treasury yields and gold prices. Despite favorable economic indicators, silver’s performance is muted, possibly due to the shifting investor focus towards stocks, gold, and cryptocurrencies.
Investors seem to be gravitating towards alternative investments like stocks and digital currencies, leaving silver with diminished demand. This trend is indicative of silver’s struggle to compete for speculative capital in the current market landscape.
While factors like a more accommodative Fed, lower interest rates, and a weaker dollar usually boost silver prices, the current lack of demand and trading volume casts doubt on a significant upward move. Given the competition from alternative assets, the near-term outlook for silver remains cautiously optimistic but restrained, with market dynamics suggesting a stable yet unremarkable performance.
Silver (XAG/USD) is currently trading at 24.12, slightly below its previous close. It is positioned above both the 200-day and 50-day moving averages, at 23.65 and 23.57 respectively, indicating a generally bullish trend.
The current price is hovering near the minor resistance level of 24.50 and well above the main support at 22.23 and minor support at 23.55. This positioning suggests that silver has the potential for further upside movement, especially if it breaches the minor resistance. However, traders should be watchful for any movement towards the trend line support at 23.50, as breaking below this could shift the sentiment to bearish.
Overall, market sentiment for silver appears cautiously optimistic, with a bullish inclination in the short term.
James Hyerczyk is a U.S. based seasoned technical analyst and educator with over 40 years of experience in market analysis and trading, specializing in chart patterns and price movement. He is the author of two books on technical analysis and has a background in both futures and stock markets.