
Silver Price: Explained
Silver is an interesting investment product from various perspectives. This has to do with the silver price , which offers scope for exploiting various opportunities. In some cases, an investment in silver can even yield a higher return than an investment in gold. This has often been proven in the past. If you want to profit optimally from investments in silver, you will need to know which factors influence the silver price and how this happens. Would you like to know all about it? You can read it below.
Silver price in perspective
Before we start to analyze the price of silver, it is important to understand what silver essentially is. You probably already know that it is a metal from a physical perspective. However, this is more about the economic story.
Silver was long seen as the little brother of gold . An investment in silver became interesting when an investment in gold was actually too expensive. When the stock market showed many red figures, investors looked for an investment that could offer some security. Gold and silver then both had the function of a safe haven. Investments were made in the pursuit of a stable portfolio .
However, silver is essentially different from gold. This is partly due to the fact that silver is primarily an industrial metal. It is really used in industry to make products, among other things. Figures show that approximately 85% of silver is intended for industrial purposes. When people started to see silver as an alternative to gold, the price started to rise. It was increasingly seen as a (monetary) precious metal.
Also read our article about: Is it wise to invest in silver?
What is the price of silver? Live silver price
If you want to know the price of silver, you will first have to know what exactly you are paying for. A kilo of silver obviously costs more than just a few grams. The silver price is officially expressed in dollars per troy ounce. This is an American unit. A troy ounce is equal to just over 31 grams. It is wise to always check whether the above-mentioned unit is actually used when you look at the silver price. Many sources convert the unit to a more common unit. For example, the silver price is sometimes expressed in whole grams or kilos.
Silver price volatility
The price of silver is not fixed. If you have a piece of silver in your home, for example a piece of jewelry, the potential sales value of this piece of silver is different every day. The price of silver fluctuates. In addition, it can be said that the price of silver is relatively volatile; especially when you compare it to gold. This means that the price is quite flexible. However, the degree of volatility is not so high that the price of silver becomes completely unpredictable. This is the case with some cryptocurrencies , for example .
Factors That Affect Silver Price
Every movement in the silver price comes from somewhere. A price does not just move on its own. Below are a number of factors that influence the silver price.
1. Supply and demand
The basis of every price movement is the economic system of supply and demand. This can be seen as a relationship. The more demand in comparison to supply, the higher the price. Of course, this also applies the other way around. It can be said of silver and many other (precious) metals that the supply is low by definition. When demand increases a little, this is immediately very noticeable in the price. When bad weather is coming on the stock market , you will probably see the silver price rise considerably. After all, investors are looking for more certainty.
All factors that influence the price of silver ultimately come down to supply and demand.
2. Gold Price
Although the silver industry is fundamentally different from the gold industry, both metals remain related from an economic perspective. Just compare the price chart of silver with that of gold. You will see two charts that are very similar in terms of price movements. In general, the gold price can be seen as the initiator of price movements. If the gold price makes a movement, there is a good chance that the silver price will make a similar movement. Of course, the gold price differs from the silver price, but the price movements are very similar. If you want to invest in silver, it is wise to keep an eye on gold as well.
3. Consumer behavior (micro-economic)
In the investment world, it is sometimes forgotten that the silver price is not only influenced by investors, but also by ‘ordinary’ consumers. Silver can not only be bought from a broker , but also from the jeweler around the corner. The more consumer demand there is for silver, the higher the price will be. Consumer demand is closely linked to economic conditions. The more wealth, the more silver is sold. In times of economic growth, the demand for luxury products is often high.
4. Macroeconomic conditions
Macroeconomics says something about the general financial circumstances of a country. Silver is – just like gold – seen as a safe haven. When there is a lot of uncertainty in the market, the silver price will rise. This was seen, for example, in 2008. In that year, the silver price reached record highs due to the onset of the credit crisis. It is remarkable that the price can fall just as quickly as it can rise. When the economy of a country improves, the need for a safe haven is less great. However, people will start buying more luxury products again.
5. The US dollar
Basically, the silver price is expressed in the US dollar. This automatically means that the performance of the US dollar has an effect on the silver price. When the dollar weakens, silver becomes cheaper. The result is often that the prices for silver are increased. This leads to a higher price. When the US dollar strengthens, the purchase of silver becomes more expensive. As a result, silver will be made less expensive. You can therefore see the dollar and silver as each other’s opposites, now that they move in opposite directions compared to each other. This is something to take into account.
Investing in silver with a broker
Do you want to invest in silver? There are several ways to do this. For example, you can invest in silver indirectly by physically purchasing shares in companies in silver mines. You can also choose to speculate on the price movement of the silver price with derivative products, such as CFDs.
There are a number of different ways to invest in silver. Find out which way of investing suits you and choose a suitable broker based on that. Compare brokers and find a broker today.
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