Global stocks held near record levels, while silver briefly hit a new peak before breaking its closing high amid quiet holiday trading. Asian stock indicators rose 0.2% in early trading, while US stock futures held steady after the S&P 500 closed near its all-time high on Friday.

Silver briefly rallied 6% and broke through $80 per share for the first time, but then reversed its gains and fell more than 2%. "We are witnessing a generational bubble unfolding in silver," wrote IG Australia analyst Tony Sycamore on Sunday, highlighting the strong speculative drive and extreme price movements.

Sycamore believes silver's rise is also supported by "relentless" industrial demand from solar panels, electric vehicles (EVs), AI data centers, and electronics, fueled by dwindling inventories. This, he said, has pushed physical silver premiums to very high levels.

The precious metal's rally in recent months has been accompanied by substantial central bank buying, inflows into ETFs, and three consecutive interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve. Lower interest rates typically benefit commodities because they don't pay interest, and the market is also starting to bet on another rate cut in 2026. Gold and platinum also surged to record levels on Friday, before bullion prices fell on Monday.

In the stock market, the MSCI All Country World Index remained relatively stable after rising 1.4% last week and closing at a new all-time high as the year-end rally strengthened. The index is already up nearly 22% so far in 2025, heading for its third consecutive annual gain and its largest since 2019. Looking ahead, investors are assessing AI trends and the direction of Fed interest rates as two key factors for global stock performance in 2026, with attention this week beginning with the release of the FOMC minutes from the December Fed meeting. (asd)

Source: Newsmaker.id