silver will outperform gold in 2008Richard Gray, a Blackmont Capital analyst, wrote in a recent note to clients.
He is one of a number of experts that predict silver will outperform gold in 2008. Mr. Altmann agrees, as he believes silver will look like a more attractive investment as gold passes through US$1,000 an ounce.
Experts noted that silver outperformed gold in past precious-metal rallies that took place in the midst of a turbulent economy.
Silver's rise to prominence in the past few years has highlighted the few investment vehicles available.
The ETF now holds nearly 150 million ounces of silver on its own. There is also a small handful of pure-play silver equities that have generated plenty of attention from investors and analysts, including Silver Wheaton Corp., Pan American Silver Corp., ECU Silver Mining and First Majestic Silver Corp.
The pure-play silver companies tend to trade at a slight premium to gold companies simply because there are fewer of them. Primary silver mines are also very hard to come by, and most silver is produced as a by-product of gold or base metals.
Financial Post