Silver (XAG/USD) struggles to capitalize on its gains registered over the past two days and oscillates in a narrow range during the Asian session on Friday. The white metal currently trades around the $78.25-$78.30 region, nearly unchanged for the day, and remains close to a one-week high, touched on Thursday.
From a technical perspective, this week’s breakout through a one-week-old ascending trend-channel resistance, which coincided with the 100-hour Simple Moving Average (SMA), was seen as a key trigger for the XAG/USD bulls. The 100-hour SMA has flattened around $76.32 after a modest rise, and spot prices hold above it to preserve an intraday bullish bias.
Meanwhile, the Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) line sits marginally below the Signal line near the zero mark, with a slightly negative histogram that points to subdued momentum. However, the Relative Strength Index (RSI) stands at 55, neutral with a mild upward tilt. Moreover, acceptance above the 100-period SMA underpins the breakout structure.
A turn of the MACD histogram back to positive would reinforce upside follow-through. A firming RSI above 60 would signal strengthening momentum, while a drop beneath 50 would warn of fading impetus. The former descending channel hurdle at $75.58 could act as initial support on pullbacks, while deeper protection aligns with the channel floor near $70.31.
Absent fresh momentum, the XAG/USD could consolidate, but maintaining levels above the moving average would keep the near-term bias upward.
(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.
