Silver, Tumbles

Silver Tumbles to Seven-Month Low Near $56 as Fed Hawks and Oil Spike Reshape Rate Expectations

Published on 07/18/2026 at 12:54 | Redaktion boerse-global.de

Silver suffers worst monthly retreat since 2025, falling nearly 18% as Fed rate hike fears and US-Iran military escalation drive energy costs higher, crushing zero-yielding metal.

Silver Plunges 18%: Hawkish Fed and Iran Oil Shock Crush Demand
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Silver has suffered its most aggressive monthly retreat since late 2025, sliding nearly 18% as a chorus of hawkish Fed voices and a sudden oil-price surge driven by US-Iran military escalation conspired to crush demand for the zero-yielding metal. The decline brought spot prices to an intraday low of $55.77 on Friday before a modest bounce to $56.22 at the close, still good for a 0.82% gain on the day but a 7.45% weekly loss.

The selloff gathered speed after a string of Federal Reserve officials signaled that inflation remains too sticky to pause. Cleveland Fed President Beth Hammack warned of persistent price pressures on July 17, while Dallas Fed's Lorie Logan explicitly called for a rate hike. Vice Chair Philip Jefferson added that tighter policy would be warranted if inflation does not improve soon. Markets have priced in roughly a 65% probability of a September rate increase, though a July move is seen as unlikely. Fed Chair Kevin Warsh underlined the message, saying the inflation fight is far from over.

Compounding the headwinds, US import prices jumped 0.3% in June against expectations of a 0.8% decline, pushing the annual increase to 7.1% — the sharpest since August 2022. Import costs from China surged 0.9%, the biggest monthly gain since January 2008. Yet other data paint a muddled picture: both consumer and producer prices fell in June, largely on lower energy costs. This divergence has rattled markets, with silver's 30-day annualized volatility climbing to nearly 46%, a clear sign of frayed nerves.

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Geopolitical tensions added fuel to the fire. The US launched multiple strikes on Iranian targets this week, and President Trump warned that Iranian infrastructure could be hit next week if diplomatic efforts fail. Iran retaliated with attacks on US bases in neighboring countries, raising fears of prolonged disruption to energy flows through the Strait of Hormuz. Brent crude surged about 16% in a week to $88.10, while WTI gained 4.5% to $82.49. Higher energy costs reinforce inflation fears and, by extension, the rate-hike narrative that is crushing silver and gold alike.

Regional markets reflected the global weakness. On the COMEX, silver slipped below $56 an ounce earlier in the week. At India's MCX, the metal traded around 2.15 lakh rupees per kilogram, with analysts pegging support at 2.18 lakh rupees and resistance at 2.27 lakh rupees. A break below 2.14-2.15 lakh could open the door to 2.10-2.11 lakh, according to IANS. In Pakistan, silver stood at 6,250 rupees per tola, while the global spot price hovered near $55.90.

Technical indicators suggest the selloff may be overdone but not yet conclusive. The relative strength index settled at 34.8, indicating pronounced weakness but still short of classic oversold territory — a level some traders associate with a potential bounce. That has not deterred prominent investors. Robert Kiyosaki told BeInCrypto he used the pullback to add to his gold and silver holdings, citing Jim Rogers' view that the metals will rise long term but suffer violent corrections along the way. Rogers and Kiyosaki referenced the roughly 53% decline from the January 2026 record of $121.78 to around $56 as a textbook example of the kind of shakeout that precedes a renewed uptrend.

For now, however, the tug-of-war between restrictive Fed rhetoric and geopolitical turmoil shows no signs of resolution. The coming week will bring fresh US economic data and more Fed commentary, each capable of shifting the delicate balance that has left silver traders bracing for further volatility.

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