Lifted by a supply squeeze and rising expectations of new Federal Reserve cuts, silver surged to a fresh all-time high on Monday, December 1, with futures jumping more than 3% to break above $59 per ounce.
However, the price dropped before crossing the long-coveted $60 milestone off the checklist, trading just above $57 at press time, Tuesday, December 2, down 1.89% on the daily chart.
Silver surges to a new all-time high
As mentioned, tightening availability is a primary driver behind the rally, as the cost to lease silver is climbing to its highest levels in more than two decades. In addition, last month’s historic squeeze in London has also left many investors uneasy.
The supply challenge is not new. Namely, according to the Silver Institute’s 2025 World Silver Survey, global mine production has actually been in a decade-long decline.
However, the gains recorded by precious metals in general this year also underscore growing investor unease over the recent equity-market weakness. That is, ‘the devil’s metal’ has been gaining traction as a safe-haven asset and a critical industrial material.
Accelerating trends, including artificial intelligence (AI) and the related self-driving tech, have also accelerated the supply decline. For instance, the average electric vehicle (EV) contains around 25 grams of silver.
Here’s how much $1,000 in Silver at the start of 2025 is worth now
These factors have allowed the precious metal to nearly double in price year-to-date, pushing it up 92% higher than its January 1 price of $29.56 and leaving gold, which has gained roughly 60% over the same period, in the dust.
To put things into perspective, for those who invested $1,000 in silver at the start of the year, their positions are now worth around $1,928.
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