Silver prices rose for the third consecutive week, closing at $75.93 on Friday, up about 7% since the beginning of the year. Silver has outperformed most financial assets such as global equities, bonds, the U.S. dollar index, which is up around 0.10%, cryptocurrencies, and precious metals with the exception of gold (+10%). Over the past week, silver prices have been trading in a horizontal range between approximately $70 and $77, searching for a clear direction either upward or downward. Today, silver is trading near the $77 level.
Uncertainty and lack of clarity remain regarding silver’s next direction, largely due to its extensive use in multiple industries. The noticeable rise in energy prices, particularly oil and gas, negatively affects factories and industrial production, as higher energy costs increase the cost of manufacturing goods, which could ultimately lead to lower demand for silver.
In addition, the Core Personal Consumption Expenditures Price Index recorded annual growth of 3.0% in March last week, in line with expectations but still above the Federal Reserve’s 2% target. Meanwhile, both headline and core Consumer Price Index readings rose to 3.3% and 2.6% respectively in March, with expectations that inflation may remain elevated amid uncertainty surrounding the ongoing conflict in the Middle East and concerns about a potential expansion of the war.
Markets are also awaiting the release of the U.S. Producer Price Index later today at 16:30 UAE time, with expectations pointing to a rise to 4.6%, higher than the previous reading of 3.4%.
From a technical perspective, the Relative Strength Index (RSI) currently stands at 52 points, suggesting positive momentum for silver. Meanwhile, the MACD indicator is showing a bullish crossover between the blue MACD line and the orange signal line, which provides positive momentum for silver. However, a bearish crossover remains in place between the 20-day moving average and the 50-day moving average, which may indicate some downside pressure for silver in the near term.
Please note that this analysis is provided for informational purposes only and should not be considered as investment advice. All trading involves risk.
