Latest news with #iSharesSilverTrust
Yahoo
14-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Here's Why Silver ETFs Are Soaring to New Highs
Silver surged to its highest level since 2011, driven by investor demand as an alternative to gold and concerns that potential U.S. tariffs could disrupt global metal supplies. Silver is rising as both a store of value and a key industrial metal powering the clean energy transition. The grey metal climbed as much as 1.6% during Asian trading on Monday, following last week's 4% rally. The metal is now up 35% year to date, outpacing gold's 28% gain. iShares Silver Trust SLV and abrdn Physical Silver Shares ETF SIVR — linked directly to the bullion prices — spiked. Silver miner ETFs — Global X Silver Miners ETF SIL, ETFMG Prime Junior Silver ETF SILJ and iShares MSCI Global Silver and Metals Miners ETF SLVP — also hit multi-year highs. Silver miners act as leveraged plays on underlying metal prices and thus tend to experience more gains than their bullion cousins in a rising metal market (read: Silver ETF (SLV) Hits New 52-Week High). Silver demand is currently benefiting from the renewed threat of trade wars. President Donald Trump announced sweeping tariff measures, including a 35% levy on Canadian imports and proposed blanket tariffs of 15%–20% on most major trading partners. He confirmed 50% duties on Brazilian goods and copper shipments. The move has sparked a surge in physical buying, accelerating the is often used to preserve wealth during times of financial and political uncertainty and usually does well when other asset classes struggle. Geopolitical tensions and ongoing uncertainty over the Trump administration's trade policies enhance the metal's attractiveness among investors (read: What's Driving Precious Metal ETFs Rally in 2025?). A major tailwind for silver is the sustained supply deficit in recent years. The silver market is heading for the fifth year of deficit, driven largely by surging industrial demand, particularly from the green energy and electronics sectors. Silver is benefiting from its dual role as both an investment asset and an industrial metal. The white metal is used in a wide range of industrial applications. About half of the metal's total demand comes from industrial applications, while 30% comes from jewelry/silverware/coins and medal manufacturers. Additionally, the global push for green energy, increasing demand in areas like 5G, a rebound in global computer shipments, the photovoltaics (PV) and automotive industries and new sources of demand for sensors used in IoT and OLED lighting will continue to boost silver demand. Silver is largely used for manufacturing solar panels and electric vehicles, and will play a key role in the shift to 5G wireless network technology. Adding to the bullish momentum, the spread between London spot prices and September futures in New York remains unusually wide. This echoes the start of the year, when tariff concerns sparked a rush of gold and silver shipments from London to the United States, lifting prices across both markets (read: ETFs Riding High on Multi-Year Record Silver Prices). Another crucial factor behind silver's rally is the weakness in the U.S. dollar. As the greenback loses value, dollar-denominated assets like silver have become more attractive to foreign buyers. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report iShares Silver Trust (SLV): ETF Research Reports abrdn Physical Silver Shares ETF (SIVR): ETF Research Reports Global X Silver Miners ETF (SIL): ETF Research Reports Amplify Junior Silver Miners ETF (SILJ): ETF Research Reports iShares MSCI Global Silver and Metals Miners ETF (SLVP): ETF Research Reports This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research ( Zacks Investment Research Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Mint
09-07-2025
- Business
- Mint
Investors are searching for the next gold. Don't get burned.
Gold's strength is drawing new investors into buying other precious metals, but be warned: Not all that glitters is as grand. The uncertain macroeconomic environment and rising government debt the past few years have made gold attractive. With a 24% annualized three-year price return, gold's radiant performance beats the S&P 500's annualized total return of 18.6%. Judging by inflows tracked by Morningstar into silver, platinum, and palladium exchange-traded funds, investors appear to be hunting for the next metal to hit it big. 'To a lot of people, [gold's strength] is a signal that hard assets are in vogue, and therefore, in a rising gold environment, other precious metals should rise," says Will Rhind, CEO of GraniteShares, which offers two precious metals ETFs. Buyers have been rewarded this year, as seen by the gains in the biggest precious metal ETFs. The $101 billion SPDR Gold Shares is up 26.9%, the $17 billion iShares Silver Trust is up 27%, the $1.7 billion Abrdn Physical Platinum Shares ETF is up 50.7%, and the $512 million Abrdn Physical Palladium Shares ETF is up 21.5%. But investors shouldn't think that silver, platinum, and palladium are just a whiter shade of gold. Each metal is guided by its own supply and demand factors. 'Gold is very, very different than silver," says Robert Minter, director of investment strategy for ETFs at Aberdeen Investments. 'We often hear silver is gold junior, and it just makes my hair fall out." While gold functions as an alternative currency and a safe-haven investment, the other metals tend to follow the business cycle. Although silver has some currency-like aspects, 60% of the supply goes to industrial applications, such as photovoltaics. It's seeing growing demand from artificial-intelligence semiconductor chips, and that has contributed to demand outstripping supply over the past four years. Platinum, along with palladium, is chiefly used in automotive catalytic converters and in other industrial applications. Prices for the metals were range-bound for the past few years even though they had been in supply deficits, until tariff fears ignited after April's Liberation Day announcement. Platinum prices rallied sharply after China and other countries began stockpiling it, along with other critical industrial metals. Independent commodities analyst Sterling Smith recommends that new investors buy on dips, as all of the metals' gains come from price appreciation. Start with a core holding of about 50% gold, as it's the biggest and most liquid market. You could add silver—and platinum or palladium, to a smaller extent—if you have a bullish economic view. He suggests 15% in silver, 5% each in platinum and palladium, and the rest in gold-mining ETFs, such as the $15.8 billion VanEck Gold Miners. He cautions investors to limit their total allocation to 10% or less of their portfolio, as these are volatile commodities, whether they buy physically backed metals ETFs or mining funds. When selling physically backed ETFs, investors pay a higher tax rate, since the Internal Revenue Service considers these collectibles. Precious metals investor Adrian Day suggests a mix of physical metal and mining stocks for long-term investors with a moderate risk tolerance, with 30% in physical metals and 70% in miners. Gold should be at least half of the physical metal allocation. He includes a lesser amount of physical silver, since it is more volatile than gold and tends to have shorter but much stronger rallies. The smallest allocation would be to platinum and palladium. Day is wary of adding platinum at these levels because of its recent rally, unless you have a 10-year-plus horizon. Platinum and palladium 'are much more volatile than gold or silver and can be flat for a much longer period of time," he warns. Email: editors@
Yahoo
24-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
$5.1B Flows to IVV; Gold and International ETFs Grow Assets
The iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (IVV), the third-largest ETF by assets under management, added a $5.1 billion to its already enormous asset base on Monday, according to FactSet data. Contrasting that inflow was a $4.6 billion outflow from the largest ETF, the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO). International funds grabbed investor attention, as the Vanguard FTSE Developed Markets ETF (VEA), the Vanguard Total International Stock ETF (VXUS) and the Vanguard FTSE All-World ex-US Index Fund (VEU) all placed on the top 10 creations list with large inflows yesterday. Precious metals ETFs also saw action, with $775.9 million flowing into the SPDR Gold Shares (GLD) ETF and 233.2 million of flows heading into the iShares Silver Trust (SLV). On the outflows side, the VanEck Morningstar Wide Moat ETF (MOAT) saw $1.3 billion in redemptions, the Vanguard Mid-Cap ETF (VO) lost $1.1 billion in assets and the VanEck Semiconductor ETF (SMH) waved goodbye to $884.9 million on the day. Overall, U.S. equity ETF assets fell by $8.1 billion and U.S. fixed-income ETFs added $743.4 million, while international equity ETFs gained $1.2 billion and international fixed-income ETF assets ticked up by $129.8 million. Ticker Name Net Flows ($, mm) AUM ($, mm) AUM % Change IVV iShares Core S&P 500 ETF 5,106.44 578,819.41 0.88% VEA Vanguard FTSE Developed Markets ETF 1,401.99 157,954.62 0.89% GLD SPDR Gold Shares 775.88 103,657.23 0.75% VXUS Vanguard Total International Stock ETF 485.74 91,957.11 0.53% VWO Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF 484.40 87,409.62 0.55% VGK Vanguard FTSE Europe ETF 314.16 25,126.95 1.25% VEU Vanguard FTSE All-World ex-US Index Fund 291.56 44,255.64 0.66% IWB iShares Russell 1000 ETF 261.40 40,125.24 0.65% USO United States Oil Fund LP 257.32 1,371.56 18.76% SLV iShares Silver Trust 233.16 17,364.15 1.34% Ticker Name Net Flows ($, mm) AUM ($, mm) AUM % Change VOO Vanguard S&P 500 ETF -4,597.35 675,895.81 -0.68% MOAT VanEck Morningstar Wide Moat ETF -1,319.51 12,369.88 -10.67% VO Vanguard Mid-Cap ETF -1,083.75 83,454.34 -1.30% SMH VanEck Semiconductor ETF -884.88 24,175.92 -3.66% DGRO iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF -678.86 31,121.81 -2.18% VTI Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF -672.29 481,783.94 -0.14% IWM iShares Russell 2000 ETF -638.20 61,821.29 -1.03% VUG Vanguard Growth ETF -573.01 168,183.13 -0.34% GCOW Pacer Global Cash Cows Dividend ETF -471.26 2,297.85 -20.51% VYM Vanguard High Dividend Yield Index ETF -405.22 59,319.16 -0.68% Net Flows ($, mm) AUM ($, mm) % of AUM Alternatives 7.47 10,030.09 0.07% Asset Allocation 28.77 24,185.44 0.12% Commodities ETFs 1,294.22 223,460.47 0.58% Currency 51.82 142,850.38 0.04% International Equity 1,188.32 1,809,674.33 0.07% International Fixed Income 129.80 299,165.67 0.04% Inverse 29.10 14,748.59 0.20% Leveraged -121.39 125,213.65 -0.10% US Equity -8,065.77 6,879,541.48 -0.12% US Fixed Income 743.42 1,678,133.68 0.04% Total: -4,714.24 11,207,003.77 -0.04% Disclaimer: All data as of 6 a.m. Eastern time the date the article is published. Data are believed to be accurate; however, transient market data are often subject to subsequent revision and correction by the | © Copyright 2025 All rights reserved Error while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data
Mint
10-06-2025
- Business
- Mint
Silver and platinum surpass gold's 2025 returns
Silver and platinum are seeing a run-up in prices while gold prices idle. This year's returns on silver, at 26.8%, have inched slightly above gold, according to the prices of two popular exchange-traded funds, the iShares Silver Trust and SPDR Gold Shares, as of Monday's trading. It is the first time the iShares silver ETF has outperformed gold's year-to-date gains in 48 trading days. As recently as May, the gold fund's 2025 returns were nearly double that of silver. Much of the catch-up has taken place in June as the silver ETF gained 11% while the gold fund gained 1%. Platinum's story is more boisterous. The aberdeen Physical Platinum Shares ETF has gained 15% month-t0-date and its 2025 returns surpassed gold on Friday for the first time since early February. Reasons behind silver and platinum gains aren't clear. Traders may be searching for other stores of value as concerns remain over global trade and tariffs. Physical commodities such as precious metals are considered safe investments in times of distress. Since gold prices were already high—setting record level 24 times this year—it may have opened the door for these metals to climb. Platinum also has another factor working for it—China, the largest platinum market globally. In the first quarter, platinum jewelry demand grew by 50% year-over-year in China, according to Platinum Guild International data cited by World Platinum Investment Council. The growth is double what was previously reported and has been attributed to gold becoming too expensive for buyers. With high gold prices, Chinese 'wholesalers are beginning to look more favourably on platinum. A number are reportedly increasing stock in showrooms throughout the country," according to a report from precious metal refiner Heraeus on May 26. Supply is another contributor to high platinum prices as mined output of platinum group metals from South Africa decreased by 12% in the first quarter compared with a year ago, according to BofA's global commodity research team. Still, the bank prefers silver over platinum as an investment. The silver market is benefiting from new applications in solar panels and safe haven demand, the bank writes in the note, while platinum jewelry demand faces risk from declines in China's population growth and marriage rates. 22V Research's team also said to buy silver in a June 5 note. They believe the metal will significantly outperform gold from here, and also like that silver plays an essential role in the semiconductor industry. There is a cautionary tale here for gold bears. Writing off gold for dead at this time could be dangerous, especially as it remains roughly 2% from marking another record while uncertainty about the U.S. economy and trade policies remains high. But it's fair to say a look at other metals for your portfolio is worthwhile. Write to Karishma Vanjani at
Entrepreneur
06-06-2025
- Business
- Entrepreneur
Silver's Options Sizzle: Are Traders Betting on a Breakout?
An unusual surge in call options in early June suggests heightened investor optimism and speculative interest across multiple silver-related stocks and ETFs. This story originally appeared on MarketBeat A notable wave of trading activity swept through several silver-linked assets in early June. Investors saw a significant jump in call option volumes for multiple silver-related equities. Call options give the holder the right, not the requirement, to buy an asset, such as a stock or ETF share, at a pre-set price by a specific date. When call volume spikes, it often signals that some traders believe the asset's price is poised to rise. This unusual call option volume and increased investor interest in multiple stocks and ETFs at the same time warrant a closer look to see what's stirring in the silver sector. Unpacking the Action: A Look at Specific Silver Plays The heightened call option volume in early June varied across multiple silver-related securities, each telling a slightly different story. Separately, they tell four stories of bullish catalysts and heightened investor sentiment, but when combined, they start to reveal the bigger picture of a sector accumulating interest and investment. iShares Silver Trust: A Price Play on Silver Bullion? [content-module:CompanyOverview|NYSE:AG] The iShares Silver Trust (NYSEARCA: SLV), an ETF that aims to track the price of silver bullion, saw 599,279 call option contracts traded. This volume was 57.8% above its usual average. The high call volume may suggest that some traders expect silver prices to rebound soon or are preparing for further price fluctuations. Because SLV tracks physical silver, this option's activity directly reflects views on the metal itself, likely influenced by broader economic news or general market coverage. First Majestic: Mining News Ignites Options Interest? [content-module:CompanyOverview|NYSE:AG] First Majestic Silver Corp. (NYSE: AG), a company focused mainly on silver production, experienced a call option volume of 39,607 contracts, an 80.9% increase from its average. First Majestic's stock price has also climbed around 18% to $7.28 during the first week of June, with a high trading volume. This mix of soaring call options, a rising stock price, and heavy trading often points to strong positive sentiment. Recent good news from the company has also likely played a role. For instance, on May 28, 2025, First Majestic announced a significant gold-silver discovery at its Santa Elena property. This, along with strong financial results from the first quarter of 2025, could lead traders to expect more gains from the stock. Pan American Silver: Big Deal Draws Options Traders? [content-module:CompanyOverview|NYSEARCA:SILJ] Pan American Silver Corp. (NYSE: PAAS), a large, diversified silver producer, recorded 9,098 call option contracts traded, up 25.7% from its average. The company's stock price also rose, gaining nearly 10% in early June. This increased call activity, alongside positive news indicators, suggests investors are reacting well to recent company moves. A key factor is likely Pan American's May 11, 2025, announcement of a deal to acquire MAG Silver Corp. for $2.1 billion. This strategic acquisition is expected to significantly boost Pan American's silver output and potential future earnings, which could, in turn, lift its stock price and attract optimistic options bets. Junior Miners: High Hopes for Smaller Players? [content-module:CompanyOverview|NYSEARCA:SILJ] The Amplify Junior Silver Miners ETF (NYSEARCA: SILJ), which holds smaller silver mining and exploration companies, saw its call option volume hit 14,925 contracts. This was a striking 97.7% leap above its average, and it was also the most significant percentage increase among these assets. SILJ's price also increased by around 10% in early June. This dramatic percentage jump in calls for SILJ points to strong speculative interest in this part of the silver market. Junior miners often have stock prices that move more sharply with silver prices. The high option activity here suggests that some traders may be betting on substantial returns from these smaller firms if silver prices continue to climb or if positive news persists for the sector. Beyond Options: What This Means for the Silver Market When call option volume rises sharply across different types of silver assets, it can signal a broader increase in investor focus on the entire silver sector. Some traders may be positioning for potential price gains. Silver's appeal comes from several areas. Demand from industries utilizing silver in green technologies, such as solar panels, electronics and the automotive sector, remains strong. Silver is also a well-known precious metal. It is often regarded as a valuable investment that retains its value, especially during economic uncertainty or rising inflation. These core factors continue to support interest in the metal. What Spiking Call Volumes Say About Silver's Next Move The notable surge in call option activity across our four assets in early June clearly shows heightened investor focus on the silver sector. This flurry of bullish bets, reflected in the increased demand for call options, suggests that a market segment is positioning for potential upward price movements in silver bullion and mining equities. Whether driven by specific company news or broader shifts in sentiment towards precious metals, the data points to a renewed speculative interest. The significant percentage increase in call volume underscores a willingness among some traders to embrace higher-risk, potentially higher-reward scenarios within the silver space. Ultimately, this concentrated options activity serves as a strong indicator that silver and its related securities captured significant market attention. At the same time, the direct motivations behind each trade can vary, the collective signal points towards a period of dynamic interest and re-evaluation for the silver complex. How these expectations play out will depend on ongoing market fundamentals, company performance, and the broader economic landscape, ensuring that the silver narrative will remain one to watch. Before you make your next trade, you'll want to hear this. MarketBeat keeps track of Wall Street's top-rated and best performing research analysts and the stocks they recommend to their clients on a daily basis. 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