Silver Price Forecast: XAG/USD gains even as oil prices rebound, Fed policy awaited
- Silver price jumps to near $57.80 despite a sharp recovery in oil prices.
- The US CENTCOM launches attacks on Iraq, targeting Iran-backed groups.
- The Fed is expected to leave interest rates unchanged for the fifth time in a row.
Silver price (XAG/USD) trades 1.14% higher to near $57.80 during the Asian trading session on Wednesday. The white metal gains even as oil prices rebound strongly due to renewed conflicts between the United States (US) and Iran.
At press time, the WTI Oil price is up 3.65% to near $81.20, snapping a three-day losing streak.
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) reported late Tuesday that it intercepted all ballistic missiles launched by Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) forces. In retaliation, CENTCOM reported carrying out precision strikes in Iraq, targeting Iran-backed groups planning attacks on US forces and Saudi oil facilities.
The Silver price has underperformed in the past months as higher oil prices boost inflation expectations, a scenario that forces global central banks to lean towards higher or steady interest rates.
Theoretically, higher interest rates by central banks bode poorly for non-yielding assets, such as Silver.
Meanwhile, investors await the Federal Reserve’s (Fed) monetary policy announcement at 18:00 GMT. According to the CME FedWatch tool, traders see a 69.5% chance that the Fed will leave interest rates unchanged in the range of 3.50%-3.75%. This will be the fifth straight policy meeting when the Fed will maintain the status quo.
Investors should not expect any remarks from the Fed regarding the monetary policy guidance, as Chairman Kevin Warsh explicitly said in the previous meeting that “so-called forward guidance is not well-suited in the current policy juncture”.
Silver technical analysis
XAG/USD trades higher at around $57.63 at press time, but is keeping a bearish near-term tone as it holds below the 20-day Exponential Moving Average (EMA), which is at roughly $58.93.
The fact that price remains capped by this short-term EMA suggests rallies are being sold into, while the Relative Strength Index (RSI) around 43 stays below the neutral 50 line, hinting that downside pressure still dominates even if conditions are not oversold.
On the topside, initial resistance is defined by the 20-day EMA near $58.93, and a daily close above this barrier would be needed to ease the current downside bias and open room for a further rebound towards $60.00. Looking down, the July 17 low at $54.77 is the key support zone.
(The technical analysis of this story was written with the help of an AI tool. Know more.)
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.
