Silver price (XAG/USD) holds steady after three consecutive days of gains, trading near $30.80 per troy ounce during the Asian session on Friday. The industrial demand for the grey metal may rise further, supported by strong economic data from China.

China's Industrial Production grew by 6.2% year-over-year in December, exceeding market expectations and the 5.4% growth rate recorded in November. This marks the fastest industrial output growth since April, driven largely by stronger manufacturing activity following stimulus measures introduced in September.
Additionally, China's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) expanded by 5.4% YoY in Q4 2024, up from 4.6% in Q3. Quarterly, the economy grew by 1.6% in Q4, aligning with market forecasts, compared to a 0.9% increase in the previous quarter.

The price of the non-yielding metal found support amid rising expectations that the Federal Reserve (Fed) will lower interest rates this year. This dovish outlook for the Fed gained traction following weaker-than-expected US Retail Sales data released on Thursday. Retail sales rose by 0.4% month-over-month (MoM) in December, totaling $729.2 billion. This figure fell short of market expectations for a 0.6% increase and was lower than the previous month's 0.8% rise (revised from 0.7%).

Furthermore, softer-than-expected underlying inflation in the US has fueled speculation that the Fed could implement two rate cuts this year. The core Consumer Price Index (CPI), which excludes volatile food and energy prices, rose by 3.2% year-over-year (YoY) in December, slightly below both the previous month's 3.3% increase and market forecasts of 3.3%. Monthly, the core CPI grew by 0.2%, compared to a 0.3% rise in the prior month.

Silver, a non-interest-bearing asset, finds additional support as US Treasury bond yields for the 2-year and 10-year notes stand at 4.23% and 4.60%, respectively, at the time of writing. Both yields are on track for a weekly decline of over 3%.
The US Dollar Index (DXY), which measures the USD's performance against six major currencies, hovers near 109.00 and remains subdued for the fifth consecutive session. A weaker USD makes Silver more affordable for buyers using foreign currencies, boosting demand for the precious metal.

In addition, expectations of lower interest rates extend to the United Kingdom (UK), where economic data showed mixed signals. British GDP grew by 0.1% month-over-month (MoM) in November 2024, rebounding from contractions of 0.1% in both October and September. However, this growth fell short of the anticipated 0.2% increase.(Cay) Newsmaker23

Source: Fcstreet