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Silver prices have experienced a significant increase, rising over 6% to exceed $33.6 per ounce. This unexpected surge has put five U.S. banks at risk of substantial financial losses due to their large short positions in the metal.

What Happened: The recent spike in silver prices has led to potential losses for these banks, estimated at billions of dollars, according to a report by The Silver Academy.

The Commodities Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) reports that open interest in silver futures contracts has reached 141,580 contracts, each representing 5,000 ounces.

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This amounts to approximately 707.9 million ounces, nearly equaling a year’s global silver production. With silver prices increasing by $1.84 per ounce, these short positions are now estimated to be underwater by $1.3 billion.

"This behavior undermines market integrity and could have far-reaching consequences for both the financial sector and industries that depend on stable silver prices," said The Silver Academy.

The concentration of these short positions among just five U.S. banks has raised concerns among industry analysts. Critics argue that this level of short-selling artificially depresses silver prices, despite strong industrial demand from sectors like electric vehicles and solar panels.

"Silver is viewed as the relatively cheap sibling to gold, and as gold continues to reach fresh record highs and copper hits a 2 1/2 month high, traders took it through resistance at $32.50," said Ole Hansen, head of commodities strategy at Saxo Bank A/S, according to a report by Bloomberg.

Concerns about market integrity and potential supply shortages have emerged, with some fearing a sharp price increase could force banks to buy back large quantities of silver, leading to significant losses.

Why It Matters: The surge in silver prices comes amid a backdrop of increasing investor interest in precious metals. Robert Kiyosaki, a renowned investor, predicted a potential stock market crash and emphasized the importance of investing in gold, silver, and Bitcoin. His remarks highlight a growing trend of investors seeking defensive assets in uncertain market conditions.