Buy the Dip: Silver's on Sale!

Silver Stock Report

by Jason Hommel, April 14th, 2009

Let's review the fundamentals of gold and silver.

The world gold mines produces 2500 tonnes per year, which is about 80 million ounces. With gold at $867, that's $69 billion worth of gold mined each year. That's a tiny market in the scale of world finance, where the USA has $14,000 billion in the US banking system at risk, and has added $11,000 billion of commitments in bail outs, and continues to issue $800 billion bail outs with increasing regularity, with a total budget exceeding $3000 billion, and a budget deficit approaching $1500 billion.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_federal_budget

The silver market is a lot smaller. Way smaller than the $69 billion in gold produced. World silver mines produce about 600 million ounces, at $11.88/oz. is $7.1 billion. Unlike with gold, where 95% of demand is for investment purposes, most silver has industrial applications, and there is little relative investment demand. Investment demand in silver is about 10-25% of the market, perhaps headed towards about 150 million ounces per year now, rapidly increasing in 2008, and in 2009 now. 150 million oz of silver, at $11.88 = $1.7 billion market.

Gold Eagle production is 710,000 oz., while Silver Eagle production was about 20 million ounces for 2008. The silver Eagle market is thus only a $237 million market, extremely tiny in the scale of world finance. (more)