Silver Whipsaws in Volatile Trade
Silver rose more than 3% to above $73 per ounce on Friday after plunging nearly 10% earlier in the session, with volatility surging to levels last seen in 1980. Price swings in the metal have been far more extreme than in gold, reflecting silver’s smaller market size, thinner liquidity, and heavy speculative positioning. Still, silver is on track for a second consecutive weekly decline and remains about 40% below its Jan. 29 peak. Silver and other precious metals had rallied to record highs in January on heightened geopolitical risks, economic uncertainty, and concerns over the US Federal Reserve’s independence that boosted safe-haven demand. Speculative buying, particularly from Chinese traders, added froth to the rally, leaving prices vulnerable to a sharp reversal as sentiment turned. Pressure on precious metals intensified further after a sharp rebound in the dollar following the nomination of Kevin Warsh as the next Fed chair, widely seen as the more hawkish choice.