Silver tends to get lost gold’s spotlight but there are reasons to consider adding silver to your portfolio as well. The silver-gold ratio remains at historically high levels. Practically speaking, this means silver is on sale. The supply and demand dynamics also look good for the white metal. Demand is up and global mine output fell last year.
There have been financial commentators, pundits, and asset managers who have stated that during periods of stagflation — low real GDP growth and high inflation — silver has underperformed gold. But as Dan Kurtz of DK Analytics shows, that conventional wisdom doesn’t hold up to scrutiny.
The silver-gold ratio currently stands at about 85-to-1. As one commentator put it, that’s “way out of whack.”
But what does this really mean?
In simplest terms, this is silver on sale!
The world’s largest primary silver producer reported a plunge in production in the first quarter of the year, continuing a global trend of declining silver output.
Total silver production at Fresnillo PLC dropped by 15% in Q1. The company blamed falling mine output on lower ore grades and reduced volume of processed ore.
Gold has been rangebound for months, gyrating up and down around the $1,300 mark. In this episode of the Friday Gold Wrap, host Mike Maharrey talks about this “wash, rinse, repeat” cycle we’re seeing in the precious metals markets and then pivots into a discussion of some more fundamental dynamics. Mike touches on the financial condition of the US federal government, surging central bank demand for gold and the positive dynamics he’s seeing in the silver market.
Investors are gobbling up American Silver Eagle coins. Sales were so brisk last week that the US Mint temporarily suspended orders when its inventory ran out.
February sales this year have already doubled 2018 levels. As of Feb. 26. the mint had sold 2,157,500 Silver Eagles this month. That compares with 942,500 coins in February 2018. This represents a whopping 118% year-on-year sales increase.
Silver often gets lost in gold’s shadow, but it’s important in its own right – both as an industrial and a monetary metal. In this episode of It’s Your Dime, Mike Maharrey talks all things silver with Silver Institute Executive Director Michael DiRienzo.
According to the US Mint, demand for American Eagle Silver Coins surged last month. The mint sold 1.65 million ounces of silver in November. That represented a 15% increase over October sales and a whopping 327% increase over November 2017.
Perhaps investors are recognizing the tremendous upside potential for silver. After all, the silver-gold ratio hit a quarter-century high last month. That signals the price of silver is out of whack.
But there are even more fundamental reasons to own silver in our updated report “The Powerful Case for Silver.“
The silver-gold ratio hit the highest level in over a quarter century this week.
The ratio hit to 86:1 as dollar strength pulled both the price of silver and gold lower this week after the Federal Reserve indicated it plans to keep pushing interest rates higher. The price of silver fell even more steeply than the gold price. A research note by Commerzbank said it was that largest gap between the two metals in 25 years. Practically speaking, this means silver is undervalued compared to gold.
The silver-gold ratio has hit levels not seen in more than 25 years.
The ratio pushed above 85 this week. To find a higher silver-gold ratio, you have to go all the way back to 1991. As Peter Schiff has said, “This is silver on sale.”
Over the last several weeks, we’ve spotlighted a lot of data indicating the economy isn’t nearly as strong as the mainstream pundits keep telling us. We’ve focused on the collapsing retail sector. We’ve looked at household debt and US consumer stress. We’ve talked a lot about the US federal debt and its potential impact on the economy.
There’s another factor that indicates there may be some cracks in the global economy – the silver-gold ratio.