NEW YORK, January 19, 2026
Precious Metals Surge Continues: Gold and Silver Investors See Record Gains
Table of Contents
Commodities, particularly gold and silver, are outshining customary stock market returns, with silver soaring over 194% in the last year.
- Gold prices hit 53 record highs in 2025,fueled by geopolitical tensions and central bank buying.
- Silver’s price is climbing due to a multi-year supply deficit driven by industrial demand.
- ETFs offer a convenient way for investors to gain exposure to both gold and silver.
- Analysts predict continued gains for both metals in 2026, with silver potentially reaching $100 per ounce.
The precious metals rally that began in 2024 shows no signs of slowing down. Over the past year, gold has gained more than 70%, while silver has skyrocketed, increasing by over 194%. It’s a performance that’s making investors rethink traditional portfolio strategies.
gold’s Safe Haven Appeal
Several global factors are driving gold’s impressive run.Ongoing geopolitical conflict, renewed interest from central banks and institutional investors, and concerns about monetary policy and ballooning fiscal debts are all contributing to its safe-haven appeal. Domestically, policies enacted during President Donald Trump’s administration also played a role, as equity markets experienced increased volatility and the U.S. dollar weakened by 10% during his first year in office.
Silver’s Industrial Strength
Silver, meanwhile, is experiencing a surge in demand that far outpaces supply, creating a multi-year deficit. This isn’t just about investment; silver is a critical component in numerous industrial applications, from photovoltaic cells in solar panels and catalytic converters to water purification systems and aerospace thermal control systems. This broad utility is bolstering its price.
what’s driving the demand for silver? The metal’s essential role in various industries, coupled with a shrinking supply, is creating a perfect storm for price appreciation.
For investors, deciding between gold and silver-and navigating the complexities of the mining industry-can be daunting. Fortunately, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) offer a streamlined solution, providing exposure to
- Gold bullion: 100% or 13 shares
- Platinum bullion: 3.59% or 45,654 shares
Its net expense ratio of 0.60% is slightly higher than the broad precious metals ETF average of 0.68% and the commodities ETF average of 0.71%. Wall Street’s bears are largely absent from the GLTR, with short interest at just 0.64% of the float, representing 81,150 shares out of over 12.7 million outstanding. Institutional investors have been actively increasing their positions, with inflows of $305.6 million over the past 12 months-more than triple the $100.28 million in outflows.
Sprott Active Gold & Silver Miners ETF (SGOL)
The sprott Active Gold & Silver Miners ETF (NASDAQ:SGOL) invests in a portfolio of top-performing gold and silver mining companies, with 64.5% of its holdings based in canada, 8.5% in Australia, and 8.4% in the United States. The fund has gained nearly 137% over the past year, largely due to its diversified weighting, with no single holding exceeding 4.58% of the portfolio.
The ETF receives an aggregate Moderate Buy rating based on 54 analyst ratings of select companies in its portfolio over the past year, including anglogold Ashanti (NYSE:AU) and Newmont Goldcorp (NYSE:NEM), the world’s largest gold mining company. Over the past year, those two stocks alone posted gains of nearly 263% and more than 176%, respectively.
Worth a look
