The recent weakness in the precious metals space may have shaken some, but investors should reconsider exposure to silver exchange traded funds as the metal may find support from industrial demand.
“Despite silver’s recent drop, the current environment still remains attractive with the rising manufacturing data – a key driver for silver performance over time,” Maxwell Gold, Director of Investment Strategy at ETF Securities, said in a note.
According to the Silver Institute, the largest single component of physical silver demand is industrial applications. About 55% of all silver consumed is for industrial use, including various segments like electronics, medicine, water purification, solar cells and chemical catalysts, among others.
Currently, bearish sentiment towards silver continues to pressure the market as net futures positioning touched its lowest level since December 2015, Gold said. On the other hand, short positions have surged to 83% in June from the month prior on falling inflation expectations and rising above ground inventories.