Silver is having a “two-speed” day on Friday, December 12, 2025: it set a fresh all-time high early in the session, then pulled back sharply as traders locked in profits and macro headwinds returned.
By early afternoon in New York, spot silver (XAG/USD) was down about 3% near $61.7–$61.9 per ounce, after printing a record around $64.64–$64.66 earlier in the day. [1]
So if you’re asking “silver price today — why is it down?” the short answer is: a classic profit-taking reversal from record highs, helped along by a firmer U.S. dollar, rising Treasury yields, and risk-off crosswinds that pushed traders to reduce exposure ahead of key U.S. data next week. [2]
Below is a complete, publication-ready breakdown of what moved silver today, what today’s leading analysts are watching, and where the next key levels and scenarios sit.
Silver price today: the latest levels (spot and futures)
- Spot silver (XAG/USD): fell about 3% to roughly $61.7 after hitting a record $64.64 earlier Friday (New York afternoon). [3]
- Early read (morning): at 8:15 a.m. ET, one widely followed daily pricing snapshot showed silver around $64.47, underscoring how quickly the reversal developed later in the session. [4]
- COMEX silver futures (reference point): the widely tracked Yahoo Finance futures series shows Dec. 12, 2025trading with a low near $61.88 and close around $62.17 (after a high above $65). [5]
Big picture: even after today’s drop, silver is still sitting near record territory and remains up roughly 5% on the weekand well over 100% year-to-date, depending on the benchmark quoted. [6]
Why is silver down today? The 5 main drivers behind the drop
1) Profit-taking after a historic run (the most direct catalyst)
Silver didn’t fall out of nowhere—it fell after making history.
Reuters attributed the move primarily to profit-taking, noting silver slid nearly 3% after touching a new record high. [7]
FXStreet’s late-day analysis echoed that framing: silver “retreats from record high as investors lock in profits,” describing a drop of more than 3% after the new peak. [8]
When an asset is up more than 100% in a year, “sell the rip” behavior becomes more common—especially into a weekend and after a string of consecutive up days.
2) The U.S. dollar stopped falling (and that matters for XAG/USD)
Silver is priced globally in dollars. When the USD firms, metals often feel pressure because they become more expensivefor non-U.S. buyers.
Reuters noted the dollar held steady after falling in recent sessions—something traders explicitly flagged as a headwind for dollar-priced metals. [9]
In a separate Reuters FX report Friday, the dollar index rose to about 98.44, rebounding from a two‑month low even though it remained weaker on the week. [10]
That “USD bounce” doesn’t need to be huge to trigger a metal pullback when positioning is stretched.
3) Treasury yields rose as markets digested Fed divisions and “higher-for-longer” risk
Precious metals are non-yielding assets. When bond yields rise, metals can lose some relative appeal—especially after a big rally.
Reuters’ global markets wrap reported U.S. 10‑year yields rising to around 4.186%, with investors reacting to Fed commentary and mixed signals. [11]
And on the Fed itself, Reuters highlighted that multiple officials dissented on the most recent rate cut decision and voiced concern that inflation remains too high—reinforcing uncertainty around how quickly cuts can continue. [12]
That combination—slightly higher yields + a less one‑way Fed outlook—often hits silver harder than gold because silver is “more volatile” and more sensitive to swings in risk appetite and macro pricing.
4) Risk-off spillover: tech/AI volatility triggered de-risking across markets
Friday wasn’t just a silver story. It was also a day where stocks dropped and investors worried about frothy AI trades.
Reuters reported major indexes falling sharply, with tech shares under pressure and yields rising. [13]
FXStreet also tied the silver pullback to broader risk-off conditions, noting U.S. stocks declined while yields climbed and “AI-bubble” worries resurfaced. [14]
When equities get hit, traders sometimes reduce risk across portfolios, including trimming “winner” positions like silver to raise cash or rebalance exposure.
5) Technical exhaustion: overbought signals and a textbook reversal pattern
Several Dec. 12 technical notes pointed to overstretch.
- FXStreet warned the rally looked overbought, citing RSI signals and bearish divergence as silver struggled to hold above $64. [15]
- Another FXStreet update described a bearish engulfing pattern and negative RSI divergence, flagging elevated near‑term retracement risk. [16]
- FXStreet’s later analysis added that silver broke below its rising channel after the peak and framed a pullback toward prior breakout levels as “healthy,” unless it turns into a deeper breakdown. [17]
In plain English: after a vertical climb, stop-losses and profit targets tend to cluster. Once selling starts, the move can accelerate fast—especially in a market known for sharp percentage swings.
Today’s news backdrop: silver is down now, but the “bull case” headlines didn’t disappear
Even with Friday’s pullback, many of the same forces that helped push silver to records are still being cited in today’s coverage:
Silver’s “critical minerals” angle is now a mainstream driver
Multiple reports today pointed to silver’s addition to a U.S. critical minerals list and the knock-on effects on supply chains and tariff expectations. [18]
That matters because it can incentivize inventory shifts (metal moving into U.S. warehouses) and complicate global availability—both of which can amplify price moves.
Physical tightness, deficits, and inventory reshuffling remain central themes
The Silver Institute and Metals Focus have repeatedly emphasized that 2025 is on track for another structural market deficit—a key plank of the bull narrative. [19]
ING’s recent research also described a tariff-driven flow of metal and tightness in key hubs, arguing volatility is likely to remain a defining feature into 2026. [20]
Industrial demand is not just “solar” anymore — AI and data centers are now in the story
Business and market coverage in December has increasingly linked silver demand to the AI build‑out, data centers, and electronics—on top of EVs and solar. [21]
This “dual-use” identity (industrial + precious metal) is one reason silver can surge dramatically—and also why it can reverse sharply on risk-off days.
Forecasts and analyst views dated Dec. 12, 2025: what’s next for silver?
Today’s published outlooks are not unanimous. But they cluster around a few consistent ideas:
Near-term: volatility and “retest” risk is front and center
FXStreet’s end-of-day note suggested silver may be headed toward a test of prior breakout zones—roughly the $59–$60region—while emphasizing that a retest can be constructive if it holds. [22]
Key upside targets cited today: $65, then higher extensions
Earlier on Dec. 12—before the selloff—FXStreet noted that silver was consolidating above $64 and pointed to potential upside tests near $65, with higher technical extensions beyond that if momentum resumes. [23]
Separately, Reuters (in its earlier precious-metals framing) noted that some analysts see technical momentum pointing toward $75—a level that has become a recurring “next milestone” in bullish commentary. [24]
Support levels highlighted today (the levels traders are watching now)
Across today’s technical updates, several support areas were repeated:
- $61.00 (near-term “line in the sand” in some technical commentary) [25]
- $60.09 / ~$60.00 (recent lows and psychological level) [26]
- ~$59.40–$59.85 (prior record/high‑turned‑support zone and channel area cited in analysis) [27]
- $57.75–$57.25 (deeper correction zone discussed if the pullback accelerates) [28]
On the upside, FXStreet framed $62 as a near-term pivot to watch after the drop, with resistance returning near the mid‑$64s if bulls regain control. [29]
What to watch next week (and why it matters for silver)
Today’s selloff happened with traders already looking ahead.
1) U.S. Nonfarm Payrolls (NFP) and delayed macro data
Reuters and FXStreet both pointed to next week’s U.S. jobs data as a key catalyst. [30]
If jobs data comes in hot, yields can rise and the dollar can strengthen—often a headwind for silver. If it cools, rate-cut expectations can reaccelerate—often supportive for precious metals.
2) The Fed narrative: “cuts happened, but division is growing”
The Fed has cut, but dissent and inflation concern remain part of the story, according to Reuters reporting. [31]
For silver, that means the market may swing rapidly between:
- “More cuts are coming” (bullish metals), and
- “The Fed may pause / inflation is sticky” (supportive for USD/yields, sometimes bearish metals).
3) Risk appetite and the AI trade
Because silver is tied to industrial growth expectations and risk positioning, sharp moves in tech and broader equity sentiment can bleed into silver—especially after a year like 2025 where silver became one of the standout momentum trades. [32]
Bottom line: silver is down today — but the market is still in “record territory mode”
Silver’s drop on Dec. 12, 2025 is best described as a violent reset after a record high, driven by profit-taking, a firmer dollar, higher yields, and technical exhaustion. [33]
At the same time, the rally’s underlying pillars—tight physical conditions, structural deficit narratives, and industrial demand tied to electrification and AI-era infrastructure—remain prominent in today’s reporting. [34]
That tension is why many analysts expect more volatility rather than a smooth trend from here.
Note: This article is for informational purposes only and is not financial advice.
References
1. www.tradingview.com, 2. www.tradingview.com, 3. www.tradingview.com, 4. fortune.com, 5. finance.yahoo.com, 6. www.tradingview.com, 7. www.tradingview.com, 8. www.fxstreet.com, 9. www.tradingview.com, 10. www.reuters.com, 11. www.reuters.com, 12. www.reuters.com, 13. www.reuters.com, 14. www.fxstreet.com, 15. www.fxstreet.com, 16. www.fxstreet.com, 17. www.fxstreet.com, 18. www.fxstreet.com, 19. silverinstitute.org, 20. think.ing.com, 21. www.businessinsider.com, 22. www.fxstreet.com, 23. www.fxstreet.com, 24. www.reuters.com, 25. www.fxstreet.com, 26. www.fxstreet.com, 27. www.fxstreet.com, 28. www.fxstreet.com, 29. www.fxstreet.com, 30. www.tradingview.com, 31. www.reuters.com, 32. www.reuters.com, 33. www.tradingview.com, 34. silverinstitute.org
