%{{tag.tag}} {{articledata.title}} {{moment(articledata.cdate)}} @{{articledata.company.replace(" ","")}} comment Retail investors continued buying silver (TVC: $SILVER ) as the precious metal's price collapsed in recent days. Market data shows that individual investors placed nearly $500 million U.S. in bets on silver over the past week as the metal's price crumbled, wiping out much of its year-to-date gain. Silver's price was cut nearly in half over the past week, dropping as low as $64 U.S. an ounce from an all-time high of $121 U.S. reached at the end of January. On Jan. 30, silver's price fell 27%, the biggest one-day loss in its history. The price of silver has since rebounded and is currently trading at just under $80 U.S. an ounce. However, it remains well-below its January peak. That hasn't dissuaded retail investors from buying into weakness. Data from Vanda Research shows investors poured $430 million U.S. into the iShares Silver Trust (SLV), the biggest silver exchange-traded fund (ETF), in the last five trading sessions. Silver and other precious metals such as gold had been on a record-breaking rally over the past year, fueled by the erratic policies of U.S. President Donald Trump and geopolitical risks. Silver started 2025 at less than $30 U.S. an ounce and than proceeded to quadruple in price before its recent unwinding. The catalyst for the sharp drop in silver's price appears to have been Trump's appointment of Kevin Warsh to lead the U.S. Federal Reserve. Warsh's appointment appears to have eased concerns that the central bank will bow to the president's demands to immediately lower interest rates. While retail investors remain bullish on silver, analysts warn to expect continued volatility, especially with the latest U.S. inflation and jobs data being released in coming days.