If you’re checking the silver price now per ounce, you probably noticed the screen flashing something around $90.88.
It’s wild. Honestly, if you’d told someone two years ago that silver would nearly triple in value while everyone was staring at tech stocks, they would’ve laughed you out of the room. But here we are. On this Sunday morning, January 18, 2026, the "poor man’s gold" is currently anything but cheap.
The market is jittery today. We’re seeing a slight pullback—about 2%—from the recent highs, but the floor feels solid. For the folks who’ve been holding since it was $30 an ounce back in early 2025, this isn't a crisis. It’s a victory lap.
Why the Silver Price Now Per Ounce is Shaking the Market
Silver has always been the volatile, high-strung cousin of gold. It’s basically gold on caffeine. When it moves, it doesn't just walk; it sprints. We saw that last year when it surged over 150%.
Why? Because silver isn't just a shiny coin in a vault. You’ve got to look at your phone, your car, and the solar panels on your neighbor's roof. Silver is the most conductive metal on the planet. You literally cannot build a modern "green" economy without it.
The Industrial Squeeze
Industry is currently swallowing more silver than the mines can spit out. We’re in the third or fourth year of a massive supply deficit. Most silver is a byproduct—it’s found while people are looking for lead, zinc, or copper. You can't just flip a switch and mine more silver because the price went up. It takes years to open a new shaft.
- Solar Demand: Photovoltaic cells are a silver vacuum.
- Electric Vehicles: An EV uses way more silver than an old internal combustion engine.
- 5G and Electronics: Every connection needs that conductivity.
Experts like Joshua D. Glawson from Money Metals Exchange have been pointing out that ETFs are creating "demand" for physical metal that barely exists above ground. When the big funds start buying, and the solar companies are already panicked about their supply chains, the price has nowhere to go but up.
Is It Too Late to Buy?
That’s the $90 question. Or the $150 question, depending on who you listen to.
Some analysts, like those at The Oregon Group, are looking at scenarios where silver hits $150 this year. That sounds insane until you realize the gold-to-silver ratio is still catching up. Historically, when gold goes on a tear—and it’s sitting near $4,500 right now—silver eventually overcorrects.
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The Correction Risk
Look, nothing goes up in a straight line. Never has.
If the Federal Reserve decides to hike rates later this year to choke off inflation, silver will take a hit. High interest rates make "boring" stuff like savings accounts look better than a bar of metal that doesn't pay a dividend. Henry Yoshida, the CEO of Rocket Dollar, has warned that a global manufacturing slowdown could also cool this rally. If people stop buying cars and solar panels, the industrial floor for silver gets shaky.
But for now, the "safe haven" trade is winning. Between the tariff wars and the general feeling that the dollar is losing its edge, people want something they can hold in their hands.
The Reality of Physical Premiums
Here is what most "spot price" charts won't tell you. If you go to a local coin shop or an online dealer like APMEX or JM Bullion, you aren't paying $90.88.
You’re paying a premium.
When the market gets this hot, the gap between the "paper" price and the price of a physical American Silver Eagle widens. You might see premiums of $5, $10, or even $15 over spot. It’s kinda frustrating. You see the price on your screen, but the actual cost to own the metal is always higher because everyone is fighting over a limited supply of minted coins.
Actionable Steps for Today's Price
If you're looking at the silver price now per ounce and trying to decide your next move, don't just FOMO in because of a headline.
- Check the Ratio: Look at the Gold/Silver ratio. If it’s above 80:1, silver is technically "cheap" compared to gold. If it starts dropping toward 50:1, silver is becoming the expensive one.
- Dollar Cost Average: Don’t buy your whole position on a Tuesday morning. Spread it out. Buy a little now, and buy a little more if it dips back toward the $80 support level.
- Watch the Fed: Keep an eye on the inflation numbers coming out of D.C. If inflation stays hot, silver stays hot.
- Verify the Source: If you’re buying physical, only use reputable dealers. In a $90+ market, the number of "fake" silver bars floating around on auction sites goes through the roof.
The bottom line is that silver has transitioned from a forgotten commodity to a strategic asset. Whether it hits $100 next month or corrects back to $70, the structural shortage isn't going away. The world wants green energy, and green energy needs silver.
Keep an eye on the $84 level—that was last year's high and should act as a safety net if things get rocky this week. If we hold above that, the path to $100 looks surprisingly clear.