How Low Can Silver Go?

May 12, 2011 4:09 pm 18 comments

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The volatility in silver is something that a lot of people can’t handle. When I first invested in silver, I was focused on hour-to-hour and day-to-day movements.  As such, the volatility in silver was the cause of a ton of stress, even if I traded the moves well. Now, with a little more experience, I am less concerned with day-to-day movements in silver. Believe me, there is logic to my change in perspective. Silver is prone to extreme moves, and in extreme moves, classic momentum indicators and technical tools are pretty useless. At overbought levels, common sense coupled with a longer term perspective is far more valuable.

At the top in silver I didn’t say things like “the 5 day RSI is overstretched and 7 out of 10 times this leads to a correction in silver”. My analysis was more along the lines of “silver has gone up 170% in 7 months” and “silver is trading 70% above its 200-day moving average.”  These are longer term approaches to viewing markets. Sentiment also played a huge role for me, and the general consensus that silver couldn’t possibly correct was just icing on the cake.

If you are poised, volatility is your best friend. I have been patiently waiting for a correction in silver, and my focus is now finding entry points to buy back into this correction.

I wouldn’t be concerned at all about the long term prospects of silver unless we dipped below first $25, then $20. The major test for silver will be at the 200-day moving average. As of now, it appears the test will come at about $30. This is a pretty low risk entry point and I will be buying here to feel out the market. In my opinion, this could very well be the last great opportunity to buy silver at relatively cheap prices.

Silver bulls rest assured: this correction is the best thing that could have happened to silver. While silver was rising to the stratosphere, I said that silver needed to correct or consildate to keep this bull market going. Spike moves are the last thing I want to see in an asset I am bullish on. Now that silver has corrected, investors should focus on adding to their positions. As long as silver doesn’t collapse below $25, this correction should be read as a bullish signal.

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  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_MM3VRGJ7YNOPAAGV6ZGEVTEKK4 oeo2oo

    And what about the 100-DMA?

  • http://www.thebsidetothetruth.com Colton Lindsay

    this was a gift to buy more physical silver.  What do you think about James Turk saying new highs in silver in several weeks?

  • http://www.expectedreturnsblog.com Moses

    I doubt it, although I will probably add above the 50-day. So if we do reach new highs, I should profit from it. 

  • http://www.expectedreturnsblog.com Moses

    The 100-day is alrite if that suits your style. I like the 200-day since it’s a little less volatile.

  • fubsy_cooter

    Hey Moses,

    It dawns on me that one need not wait for precious metals to bottom in order to take advantage of an amazing oppty, and have a low risk entry near the beginning of a sea change from the trend of the past two years.   

    TO my eye, there is an imminent and significant trend change underway.  The reversal of this trend will change the direction of virtually every asset class, and will provide a multi-month opportunity for profit for those who are able to enter near the pivot.  Over the past two years, a majority of asset classes have been influenced by a weakening US dollar.  Currently, the dollar is trying to put in a bottom.  Sentiment has reached negative extremes that mark multi-year bottoms, and the commodity complex and stocks are showing signs of topping with sentiment having become extremely positive and price volatility increasing.  When the dollar puts in a bottom, the unwinding of the weak dollar trade will take several months, lasting until sentiment reaches the opposite extreme of overwhelming favoritism toward the dollar, which will likely be the point at which the dollar begins to once again roll over. 
     
    With this trend reversal, assets that have risen for the past two years will fall..
     -Commodities (oil, precious metals, and agriculture)
    -Stock sectors (energy, real estate, financials, tech, retail)
    -The Euro
     
    Here is a low risk tactic for getting in on this trend early.   The dollar has recently bounced at 72.69.  That currently marks a potential bottom.  When the dollar has its next correction, if it manages to stay above the 72.69 pivot, and reverses upward through its peak prior to correcting, positions should be bought that favor a strong dollar.
    Short commodities (oil, precious metals, and agriculture), stocks sectors (energy, real estate, financials, tech, retail) and the Euro.  
     
    To manage risk, position size I’ll be setting a stop 1% below the 72.69 level on the dollar (71.97), and calculating how large a position can be taken such that one’s loss if the trade goes against them is within one’s risk tolerance.    
     
    For example:  With a total account size of 100k, I might be willing to risk 2% of my account to open this trade.   Thus, if I buy DUG at 32.00 (appx where it will be if the dollar breaks through its peak pivot), and set a stop at 25.00, (appx where DUG would be with the dollar at 71.95), I could open an initial position of 300 shares.  300 x 7.00 would give me a loss of 2100 or 2.1 percent of my account if the stop is hit.  If the strong dollar trend continues, positions will be added when the dollar has corrections, and when it reverses higher after becoming oversold.   New stops will be set below bottoming points.   THe reward to risk ratio is highly favorable if one waits for this setup.

    An even more compelling oppty awaits when Silver and Gold reach their bottoming points, which is why I’m only willing to risk a small percentage of my portfolio.   I want to preserve capital for that time, but I believe getting into a strong dollar trend offer the potential for substanttial gains in the meantime.
      
    fubsy

  • http://www.expectedreturnsblog.com Moses

    Hey Fubsy,

    I guess it;s just a matter of preference. I think the dollar is due for a bounce as well, but I’m probably not going long. I’ll probably watch the correction unfold and add to my position when the time comes.

    Moses 

  • Heading Offshore

    It will depend how low the government decides to drive the price via its investment arm, JP Morgan, to where the credibility of our fiat currency is preserved. 

  • http://www.thebsidetothetruth.com Colton Lindsay

     And when the dollar busts? then what? do you think silver and gold are really going down further?

  • snowbird

    I bought at $30 and watched the rise and fall.  I will buy more to protect my assets. 

  • http://www.expectedreturnsblog.com Moses

    Sounds like a good plan! 

  • http://www.expectedreturnsblog.com Moses

     Manipulation is a gift for all silver investors.

  • T2

    I bought at  $33 and sold at $45.  Now I’m watching for my next move…. 

  • http://silverdollarcoinvalue.com Silver Dollar Coin Value

     I dont care if the silver dollar value drops below $10, I am still a buyer.  Its happened already, by the way.

  • brambles

    Is there  anyway on how to know if silver will come up to it’s highest pick of about $50.00 this year 2011?Ineed to know,some of my friend are worried that they even used their childrens funds for their college.Maybe it was their fault,but I hope someone or something to happen to ease them up. 

  • http://www.expectedreturnsblog.com Moses

    It’s hard to say that an asset will rise 50% in 6 months. Your friends will need to be patient and make sure they don’t sell at the bottom, which is precisely when they will want to sell the most.  

  • Someuser

    I’m A Crazy Silver Bug…Why Aren’t You?!!
    http://www.roadtoroota.com/public/597.cfm

    The Silver Bullet And The Silver Shield
    http://dont-tread-on.me/the-silver-bullet-and-the-silver-shield/

    Crash JP Morgan – Buy Silver (Episode 96, Keiser Report)
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wN0rcNJXFfI

    India investors
    have switched from gold to silver. Chinese investors will follow suit,
    once gold becomes to expensive. The world will follow suit… The
    central banks will be FINISHED.
     

  • Someuser
  • ClintFromNYtoVA

    Absolutely as the price can only remain artificially low during the manipulation. If the price was somehow manipulated back into the single digits, the short covering alone would rocket it back up in  little time.