SLV Silver Fund's gains continue to catch up with GLD. Will the silver price trend continue to rise?

Silver ETF SLV (iShares Silver Trust) has performed dramatically over the past year, with gains exceeding 133%, outpacing gold ETF GLD. At the beginning of January, it plummeted along with gold but has gradually rebounded. As of the deadline, last week’s closing price was $69.72. Will the upward trend in SLV continue? Is there a chance to keep outperforming GLD and generate higher investment returns? Or will it face more pullbacks? This analysis is based on reports from Yahoo Finance, complemented by data comparison from Google Finance by the author. It is purely market observation and not investment advice.

SLV Price Fluctuations Since the Beginning of the Year

Looking at the long-term trend over the past five years, SLV has demonstrated a notable “late bloomer” characteristic. According to Google Finance chart data, SLV’s cumulative return over five years has reached an impressive 176.01%, far surpassing the performance of GLD during the same period. In late January this year, both gold and silver experienced sudden declines.

SLV Return vs. Gold GLD: Who Has a Better Chance?

Between 2021 and 2024, SLV remained relatively subdued, but starting in late 2025, it began to outperform gold prices. Market trends indicate that in 2026, with the increase in silver’s base and shifting investor sentiment, SLV has a high probability of continuing its strong performance, becoming one of the top-performing assets among precious metals this year.

Based on Google Finance data and market trend analysis, SLV’s investment return this year is likely to continue surpassing SPDR Gold Trust (GLD).

Entering 2025, SLV’s blue trend line shows a steep slope with a breakout surge, indicating that after a prolonged period of consolidation, silver’s upward momentum and market absorption have significantly outpaced gold. The current closing price of SLV at $69.72 still shows a strong daily gain of +2.94%, reflecting high market optimism about silver’s continued strength.

Industrial Demand Supports SLV Price

The key to SLV potentially maintaining its lead over GLD this year lies in its dual drivers: high volatility and industrial demand. Compared to GLD’s relatively stable orange trend line, SLV exhibits greater price elasticity. This suggests that in a bull market for precious metals, silver can leverage its smaller market cap, strong industrial applications, and structural shortages in solar panels and electric vehicle industries to generate more explosive percentage gains. If the global green energy transition accelerates in 2026, supply shortages could further elevate silver’s premium.

Industrial demand continues to underpin silver’s fundamentals. Solar panels, AI infrastructure, and electronic manufacturing all require silver, providing structural support and indirectly driving up prices. January’s volatility exposed silver’s sensitivity to USD strength and Federal Reserve policy expectations.

In the face of uncertain global economic growth prospects, whether industrial demand can remain stable, how miners will expand capacity without causing oversupply, and whether retail investors who suffered losses in January will re-enter the market or stay cautious remain key questions. Silver’s rally is extraordinary; before further gains, it may undergo a period of consolidation or another significant correction.

This article discusses whether SLV’s continued gains are catching up with GLD and if the silver price trend will remain bullish. Originally published on Chain News ABMedia.