NEW YORK, Dec. 27, 2025, 6:14 p.m. ET — Market closed (weekend)
Sprott Physical Silver Trust (NYSE Arca: PSLV) is heading into the final trading days of 2025 with powerful momentum behind it after silver prices set fresh all-time highs late Friday, fueling one of the strongest sessions of the year for physical-silver exposure vehicles.
On Friday’s close, PSLV finished at $26.04, while the trust’s net asset value (NAV) per unit was listed at $27.20, implying a -4.26% discount to NAV—a key number investors often monitor before placing orders for the next session. [1]
Silver’s record breakout is the headline driver for PSLV
Silver’s surge wasn’t incremental—it was historic.
Reuters reported that spot silver breached $77/oz for the first time, touching $77.40 and trading around $77.30 during Friday’s session, driven by a mix of rate-cut expectations, geopolitical risk, and thin year-end liquidity that can amplify price swings. [2]
That “thin market” dynamic matters for PSLV holders because when underlying silver moves sharply, PSLV can react quickly—sometimes with an added twist from discount/premium behavior typical of closed-end structures.
Peter Grant, vice president and senior metals strategist at Zaner Metals, told Reuters that expectations for further Fed easing, a weaker dollar, and geopolitical tensions are driving volatility in thin markets, while also warning that profit-taking risk can rise into year-end. He added that $80 silver could be within reach by year-end. [3]
Why PSLV moved: macro tailwinds plus year-end positioning
The late-December backdrop has been unusual: U.S. equities are hovering near record territory while precious metals are surging—two trends that don’t always run hot at the same time.
In a global markets wrap-up, Reuters noted that major U.S. stock indexes ended Friday near record peaks in a muted post-Christmas session, while rate-cut expectations and safe-haven demand helped push gold and silver to new highs. [4]
Commodities analyst Soojin Kim of MUFG said in a note that the precious-metals rally could continue, supported by major banks forecasting further gains into 2026, strong physical demand, and persistent geopolitical and monetary uncertainty, Reuters reported. [5]
From an investor-behavior standpoint, the Wall Street Journal has highlighted how silver’s late-2025 spike has drawn in more retail participation—often a setup for bigger daily ranges, especially in a smaller market like silver. [6]
PSLV fundamentals: what it is, what it holds, and why discount-to-NAV matters
Unlike a typical operating company stock, PSLV is a closed-end trust designed to provide exposure to physical silver bullion.
According to Sprott, the trust invests in fully allocated, unencumbered London Good Delivery (LGD) silver bars, with The Royal Canadian Mint listed as bullion custodian, and it is structured to offer an exchange-traded alternative for investors who want physical silver exposure. [7]
As of Sprott’s latest posted figures (updated Friday evening), PSLV reported:
- Total ounces of silver held:208,805,141
- Market value of silver held:$16.55 billion
- Total trust NAV:$16.61 billion
- Units outstanding:610,758,275
- Management expense ratio (MER):0.57% (as reported by Sprott, based on the period ended 9/30/2025) [8]
The crucial investor takeaway: because PSLV is a closed-end trust, it can trade above or below its NAV, and that gap can widen during high-volatility periods. On Friday, the trust showed a discount, meaning the market price was below the stated value of its underlying silver per unit. [9]
“Silver ETF” headlines can be misleading—here’s the structural nuance
A lot of weekend coverage groups silver exposure products together, but structure matters.
Reuters recently explained that exchange-traded funds can hold silver for investors and (for many ETFs) share creation/redemption mechanisms help keep prices aligned with the underlying metal. Reuters cited the iShares Silver Trust—one of the largest silver funds—as holding about 529 million ounces of silver worth roughly $39 billion at current prices in that report. [10]
PSLV, by contrast, is commonly discussed alongside ETFs but operates as a closed-end trust, which is why the premium/discount number becomes a real trading input—especially when silver is moving several percentage points in a day.
Forecasts and forward-looking takes shaping the next session
The near-term debate now is less about whether silver “broke out” (it did) and more about whether it can hold these levels once liquidity normalizes.
- Bull case: momentum plus rate-cut expectations, continued investor rotation into metals, and ongoing geopolitical uncertainty keep bids under silver. Reuters reported Grant’s view that $80 could be reachable by year-end. [11]
- Caution case: year-end flows and thin liquidity can exaggerate spikes, increasing the odds of sharp pullbacks if profit-taking accelerates. Grant explicitly flagged profit-taking risk into year-end even as he said the trend remains strong. [12]
- Market-regime context: Reuters’ “Week Ahead” outlook warned that light trading volumes can exaggerate asset price moves, and pointed to Fed minutes as a key catalyst in the holiday-shortened week. [13]
In that same Reuters week-ahead piece, Michael Reynolds (VP of investment strategy at Glenmede) said upcoming Fed minutes could be illuminating in understanding policymakers’ arguments around the table, reinforcing why rate-expectations remain a central driver for both equities and non-yielding assets like precious metals. [14]
Meanwhile, strategist commentary suggests broader risk appetite is still present. Reuters quoted Ryan Detrick (chief market strategist at Carson Group) as saying the market was essentially catching its breath after a strong rally and still has time left in the “Santa Claus rally” window—context that matters because surging metals alongside resilient equities can reflect a “liquidity and momentum” regime rather than pure fear trade. [15]
What PSLV investors should know before the next session
Because U.S. exchanges are closed for the weekend, the next real decision point for PSLV investors is Monday, Dec. 29, when premarket trading begins and spreads often widen as liquidity returns.
Here are the most practical items to watch before the opening bell:
- Sunday-night and early Monday silver action (futures/spot)
- PSLV will typically reprice quickly to reflect any meaningful move in silver once markets reopen.
- PSLV discount/premium behavior
- Friday’s published -4.26% discount could narrow or widen depending on demand for exchange-traded silver exposure at Monday’s open. [16]
- Dollar and rates narrative
- Reuters has repeatedly tied the latest metals surge to expectations of Fed easing and currency dynamics, with upcoming Fed minutes flagged as a key event in the week ahead. [17]
- Liquidity conditions
- Multiple Reuters reports emphasized year-end thin trading and its ability to magnify moves—important if you’re using market orders, trading at the open, or managing options exposure. [18]
- Position sizing and volatility expectations
- The Wall Street Journal has underscored that silver’s market can be prone to sharp swings—especially when retail demand rises—so risk management matters more than usual after a vertical move. [19]
Bottom line
PSLV is entering the next session as one of the most direct, exchange-traded ways for U.S. investors to express a view on physical silver, and this weekend’s setup is being shaped by two forces at once: (1) silver’s record-breaking momentum and (2) year-end liquidity conditions that can turn routine repositioning into outsized price action.
With PSLV closing at $26.04 against a posted $27.20 NAV, Monday’s session could become as much about discount-to-NAV dynamics as about silver itself—especially if the metal extends its run or snaps back after Friday’s historic move. [20]
References
1. sprott.com, 2. www.reuters.com, 3. www.reuters.com, 4. www.reuters.com, 5. www.reuters.com, 6. www.wsj.com, 7. sprott.com, 8. sprott.com, 9. sprott.com, 10. www.reuters.com, 11. www.reuters.com, 12. www.reuters.com, 13. www.reuters.com, 14. www.reuters.com, 15. www.reuters.com, 16. sprott.com, 17. www.reuters.com, 18. www.reuters.com, 19. www.wsj.com, 20. sprott.com
