Silver To Underperform Gold In 2018 - Capital Economics
(Kitco News)- One key theme among precious metals analysts, as the newyear started, was that silver, which had a dismal 2017, would outshine gold;however, one research firm is taking a contrarian view.
In a report Tuesday, Simona Gambarini, commoditieseconomist at Capital Economics, said that she is expecting silver prices tounderperform gold, a continuation of the trend from last year.
The U.K-based research firm is expecting silver prices toend the year at $15 an ounce, with gold prices ending the year at $1,200 anounce.
“We think that reduced safe-haven demand has underminedsilver, as investors tend to favor gold when geopolitical risks are high. Weexpect this trend to continue into 2018, which is one reason behind our bearishview on the price of silver this year,” said Gambarini.
Gambarini comments come as the gold/silver has droppedfrom its recent multi-year high. Kitco.com shows the gold/silver ratio at77.60, which is still well above its historical average. Tuesday, silver pushedbelow crucial psychological barrier at $17 an ounce, last trading at $16.98,down almost 1% on the day.
One of the reasons many analysts are optimistic on silveris because of the coordinated global economic recovery. A robust global economybodes well for silver’s industrial component, which makes up about 50% ofdemand for the precious metal.
Gambarini added that silver’s industrial componentremains an essential source of demand, particularly in the global electronicssector, which is at a multi-year high. However, industrial demand won’t beenough to offset lower investor demand, she said.
Capital Economics is bearish on gold for 2018 as the firmexpects the U.S. central bank to raise interest rates four times this year, amore hawkish view than the Federal Reserve, which sees only three rate hikes in2018.
By Neils ChristensenFor Kitco News
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nchristensen@kitco.comwww.kitco.com Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and may not reflect those of Kitco Metals Inc. The author has made every effort to ensure accuracy of information provided; however, neither Kitco Metals Inc. nor the author can guarantee such accuracy. This article is strictly for informational purposes only. It is not a solicitation to make any exchange in commodities, securities or other financial instruments. Kitco Metals Inc. and the author of this article do not accept culpability for losses and/ or damages arising from the use of this publication.