We presently have 4-6 major conflict zones worldwide, that might cause precious metals to bounce up in price.
South Africa Gu production is falling off due to deep mining costs (over 2 miles below surface) + Venz suffers power outages while they have to now use stored Gu for loan payments and that does not get counted in the market place as it goes secretly off-official books to China and Russia.
Oil is up say 30% price-wise in the same time period Gu drops in price.
Tariffs War intensifies and try to guess where precious metals prices go.
I doubt HL goes much lower in price at yearly price low, that matches 5 yr. chart low range.
I have a technical ? for the mining geologists . . . what happens to silver used in say silver computer batteries, when they seem to quit current producing . . . has one of the battery chemicals that interact with silver gave out?
Its been stated large investors counter-balance their holdings in currency and even things like tech stocks, with trades in precious metals.
More interesting (to some) is the notion that crypto-currencies using blockchain verification of transactions between parties on a closed network, has and is replacing precious metals and further, that information is now the new form of value in the dawning economy based on
electronic transactions. Could this mean the younger generation will
steadily switch to electronic money forms . . . as they do not understand nor believe in precious metals (except as used in their electronic devices and to wear or display)?
In counter-poise to the above . . . as we gain more population in non-western countries . . . is this to be a stead and important holder of personal PMs as mobile banking and savings on person and in-place say hide-ways?
