As I noted days ago, at the halfway mark of 2025, my “25 Stocks I’m Watching for 2025” are crushing the broader market — on an equal-weighted basis, the basket is up 24.55%, compared to a modest 1.26% gain in the S&P 500.
The stellar performance can largely be attributed to the growing momentum in precious metals and mining stocks—specifically gold and silver miners, which are finally beginning to outpace the metals themselves. After years of trailing the physical commodities due to higher risk profiles and capital demands, miners now appear to be entering the spotlight as confidence in the metals market surges, though higher oil prices must also be factored into the cost equation for these names.
Increased geopolitical tensions, ballooning debt levels, and fiscal instability have all converged to push gold and silver higher—and now, miners are benefitting from what may be the early stages of a full-blown FOMO trade. As the global monetary system teeters and traditional assets wobble, gold and silver have found renewed strength—and the miners are starting to run.
Back in February, I wrote not to sleep on silver. Now, as my friend Peter Schiff notes below, the sleeping giant has awakened.
The Silver Bull Is Finally Here
With silver classically lagging behind gold during the yellow metal’s stunning recent rise, the long-anticipated bull market for silver is finally here in earnest. And in a bull market, silver tends to outperform gold—once it finally catches up.
Anyone watching the gold-silver ratio this year could clearly see that a breakout was coming for gold’s closest companion. As May turned to June, the market heated up and silver rocketed upward.
Silver to USD, 1-Month Chart
The gold-silver ratio, which had stubbornly hovered above 80:1 for much of the past year, began collapsing toward 70:1—a clear signal that silver was catching up. Silver is finally stepping out of gold’s shadow, and the reasons are as fundamental as they are undeniable.
Silver’s unique dual role as both a monetary metal and an industrial commodity makes it a powerhouse in today’s economy, especially with the never ending obsession with green energy. From solar panels to typical electronics and medical applications, demand has been quietly surging. Last year, industrial silver demand hit a new record when it surpassed 680 million ounces, following three straight previous years of records.
Global silver consumption for solar alone is projected to hit new highs, with 85% of silver paste demand going straight to solar panel production. The newer N-type solar panels, which now dominate the market, are more efficient and stable than P-type panels—and they require more silver to produce, not less.
Meanwhile, mine production is flatlining. The world’s top silver-producing countries, like Mexico and Peru, are struggling with declining ore grades and regulatory headaches. Total global mine output in 2024 barely crept above 800 million ounces, while demand is pushing toward 1.2 billion. You don’t need a PhD in economics to see the squeeze coming.
The U.S. dollar, once the world’s unassailable reserve currency, is losing its grip as BRICS nations push for USD alternatives and central banks hoard gold at record rates. Silver, the more volatile cousin, can benefit disproportionately when trust in paper money collapses. Investors are waking up to the reality that silver, at under $40 an ounce, is still absurdly undervalued compared to gold’s $3,400 price tag. Historically, the gold-silver ratio has averaged closer to 50:1 or lower in bull markets. If that holds, silver could easily reach $50 an ounce before gold moves higher.
But don’t expect the mainstream media or Wall Street to cheer this on. The financial establishment loves to dismiss silver as “speculative” while peddling overpriced tech stocks and government bonds yielding negative real returns. They’ll tell you inflation is “under control” while conveniently ignoring that real-world costs—housing, energy, groceries—are rising much faster. The CPI is a rigged game, and savers are losing. Silver, unlike manipulated paper assets, is a hard asset that can’t be printed or devalued by central bankers. That’s why the smart money—central bankers, hedge funds, family offices, even retail investors—are piling in.
The silver breakout we’re seeing now was telegraphed months ago. Technical traders could have anticipated patterns signaling a major move, and the fundamentals back it up. Add in the geopolitical chaos—trade wars, sanctions, and debt crises—and it’s no surprise that safe-haven demand for precious metals is spiking. Silver’s volatility makes it a wild ride, but that’s exactly why the upside is so explosive.
The U.S. economy is a house of cards built on debt and delusion. The national debt is now $36 trillion, with interest payments alone eating up $1 trillion annually. The Fed can’t raise rates without crashing the system, and they can’t cut rates without igniting more inflation. It’s a trap, and silver is the escape hatch. Gold is an enduring store of value, but silver’s industrial demand gives it an extra kicker. As green energy and tech sectors grow, silver’s necessity only increases.
So, what’s next? If the gold-silver ratio continues to compress, silver could hit $40 or higher by year-end, with $50 not far behind. The silver market is waking up, and the window to buy silver at these levels is closing fast. Don’t wait for CNBC to tell you it’s time to buy. By then, the train will have left the station.
Stack physical silver. Central bank balance sheets will remain bloated, the fiat system is crumbling, and silver’s breakout is just the beginning.
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Peter’s gold/silver ratio numbers in this article are out of whack, 70-80:1 has been the average number for years and years, perhaps a decade or more - except for brief rallies or falls. Recently it stubbornly went over 90:1 and then 100:1. And it’s still at around 90:1 today. It hasn’t been anywhere near 70:1 for quite some time.
In other news, most Australian gold miners got hammered today. Taken out back of the woodshed and shot point blank. No idea why. But, it will be more than likely repeated on US markets tonight. Just as all the bullish articles arrive!
It’s a pretty odd collapse while bullion is high, and the Middle East war heats up.
After Chris has had his rest and his mind dumps starts, there is always one sentence or two that is almost Mark Twainesque and deserves to be mentioned and brought to the forefront.
This sentence encapsulates the essence. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘴 𝘴𝘪𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘴 “𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦” 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘥𝘥𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘩 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘤𝘬𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘨𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘣𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘺𝘪𝘦𝘭𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘯𝘦𝘨𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭 𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘴. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘺’𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘪𝘯𝘧𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘴 “𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘭” 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘪𝘨𝘯𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭-𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘴𝘵𝘴—𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘨𝘺, 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘤𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴—𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘧𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳.