Silver ETF: Meaning, Tax Implications, Examples

What Is a Silver ETF?

A silver exchange-traded fund (ETF) invests primarily in hard silver assets, which are held in trust by the fund manager or custodian. Established typically as grantor trusts, silver ETFs allow each share represented by the ETF the specific right to a particular quantity of silver, measured in ounces.​​​

Understanding Silver ETFs

​​​​​​​Silver ETFs aim to track the spot price of silver on the open market as closely as possible. The first to market was the iShares Silver Trust, managed by BlackRock and introduced in 2006.

Silver ETFs, alongside gold ETFs, were introduced in the early 2000s, opening up an attractive investment vehicle for individual and institutional investors alike. Seen as a hedge against inflation, exchange-traded funds in precious metals, like silver, became popular. ETFs allow for greater liquidity than holding the metal itself, are readily traded, and are more accessible for individuals than the futures markets.

These funds aim to replicate the returns of the silver market, allowing investors to gain exposure to the precious metal without physically owning and storing it. The ETF achieves this by holding physical silver bullion or by using derivative instruments such as futures contracts linked to the silver price. Investors can buy and sell shares of the silver ETF on stock exchanges, providing them with a liquid and easily tradable investment vehicle tied to silver's market value.

Tax Implications of Silver ETFs

Investors should understand how the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) will tax gains from silver exchange-traded funds.

• Silver ETFs held in taxable accounts are subject to a higher long-term capital gains rate on any holdings of more than one year. Because silver ETFs are considered to be investments in the raw metal itself, gains are assessed on silver as a collectible and are subject to up to a 28% long-term capital gains rate.
• Silver ETFs held in individual retirement accounts (IRAs) are not subject to this higher gains tax. Instead, the withdrawals may be taxed as ordinary income, depending on the the type of IRA.

Silver ETFs As a Means of Diversification

Market volatility tends to increase investor attention on the importance of diversifying their investment portfolios to weather market turbulence. Amid volatility, precious metals like silver tend to become more attractive to investors, given their safe haven status. 

An argument in favor of adding layers of diversification to a portfolio with commodities, such as silver, is that it is in high demand in many different industries, including consumer electronics, automobile manufacturing, solar energy, and medical devices, to name a few.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Silver ETFs

Pros of Silver ETFs

There's a number of advantages to investing in silver ETFs:

• Cost Efficiency: Silver ETFs are generally more cost-efficient compared to purchasing physical silver. When buying and selling physical silver, you may incur additional costs such as storage fees, insurance, and security expenses. You get to avoid these costs when buying silver ETFs (though there may be small associated costs with ETFs).
• Liquidity: The liquidity of silver ETFs is a significant advantage as well. You can easily buy or sell shares at market prices throughout the trading day. This liquidity is facilitated by the ETF's listing on stock exchanges. On the other hand, trying to buy or sell physical silver is much more complicated.
• Flexibility: Silver ETFs offer flexibility. Investors can use these funds for various purposes, such as speculating on short-term silver price movements, hedging against inflation or currency risk, or incorporating silver exposure into a diversified investment portfolio. Again, the flexibility of silver ETFs allows investors to adapt their strategies differently than would otherwise be able to compared to physical silver.
• Dividend Potential: While not all silver ETFs pay dividends, those that include silver mining companies in their portfolio may offer the potential for dividend income. Mining companies may distribute dividends to shareholders based on their profitability.

Cons of Silver ETFs

In addition, there are a handful of downsides to consider:

• Market Volatility and Price Risk: Silver prices are known for their volatility, and this volatility can directly impact the value of silver ETFs. Economic uncertainties, geopolitical events, and shifts in industrial demand can cause rapid and unpredictable price movements in the silver market. Similar to stocks, investors can lose money when invested in silver ETFs (or silver in general).
• Tracking Error: Silver ETFs aim to track the performance of silver, but factors such as management fees, operational expenses, and trading costs can lead to tracking errors. The actual returns of the ETF may deviate from the performance of the underlying silver asset.
• Counterparty Risk with Derivatives: Some silver ETFs use derivatives and financial instruments to replicate silver price movements. This introduces counterparty risk, as the entities providing these instruments may not fulfill their obligations. If a counterparty fails, it can lead to losses for the ETF. This is because instead of owning actual tangible silver, the ETF may invest in contracts that represent future ownership of silver at specific prices.
• Liquidity: Liquidity was listed as an advantage, but it can also be a disadvantage. Some silver ETFs may have lower trading volumes, leading to wider bid-ask spreads. This means it may be harder to sell certain silver ETF shares, or it may be harder to sell those shares at the market price. Higher bid-ask spreads can also increase transaction costs for investors when buying or selling ETF shares.
• Tax Implications: Depending on the jurisdiction and investment vehicle, investing in silver ETFs may have tax implications. Capital gains taxes may apply when selling ETF shares at a profit, and rates may vary depending on short-term or long-term gains.

Examples of Silver ETFs

There are several silver and silver mining funds that do a good job of tracking the metal's gains and losses. Examples of popular silver-related ETFs include the iShares MSCI Global Silver and Metals Miners (SLVP). The fund "seeks to track the investment results of an index composed of global equities of companies primarily engaged in the business of silver exploration or metals mining," as stated on their website.

iShares Silver Trust (SLV) is not a typical ETF. As the prospectus notes, "the assets of the Trust consist primarily of silver held by a custodian on behalf of the Trust," which means that the fund will purely reflect the price movements of silver. Investors purchase shares in the physical silver held by the trust, and the fund charges a 0.50% annual management and sponsor fee to hold the silver.

Global X Silver Miners ETF (SIL) offers a different take on silver. This ETF tracks an index of global silver mining companies. With average daily volumes of approximately 436,232 shares as of December 16, 2023, SIL has less liquidity than other popular silver ETFs.

The Bottom Line

Silver ETFs provide investors with a convenient and liquid way to gain exposure to silver without having to own any silver physically. These funds typically track the performance of silver prices and can be traded on stock exchanges like individual stocks. Silver ETFs offer advantages such as ease of trading, diversification benefits, and the avoidance of logistical challenges associated with owning and storing physical silver.