Silver Price: XAG/USD finds cushion near $29, outlook remains uncertain

LONDON (December 19) Silver price (XAG/USD) finds temporary support near $29.25 on Thursday after plunging almost 4% on Wednesday. The outlook of the white metal remains bearish as the Federal Reserve (Fed) has signaled fewer interest rate cuts for 2025 after cutting them by 25-basis points (bps) to 4.25%-4.50%.

The Fed's hawkish remarks for the next year have resulted in a rally in the US Dollar (USD) and Treasury yields. The US Dollar Index (DXY), which tracks the greenback’s value against six major currencies, dropped to near 107.90 in Thursday’s European session after refreshing a two-year high of around 108.30.

10-year US Treasury yields advance above 4.50%. Higher yields on interest-bearing assets increase the opportunity cost of holding an investment in non-yielding assets, such as Silver.

The Fed’s dot plot showed that policymakers see the Federal Funds rate heading to 3.9% by 2025, suggesting two interest rate cuts next year. In the September meeting, officials had forecasted four interest rate cuts collectively.

The Fed guided a slower policy-easing cycle as the United States (US) inflationary pressures appear to have stalled in the past few months. Meanwhile, Fed Chair Jerome Powell acknowledged that strong growth in the second half of the year is a major reason to move cautiously on interest rates.

FXStreet