Silver Price Forecast: XAG/USD falls to near $31.50, downside appears limited

• Silver price may regain its ground as lower US Treasury yields boost the attractiveness of precious metals.
• The non-yielding Silver may appreciate as multiple banks are widely expected to deliver interest rate cuts.
• The safe-haven Silver could gain ground as Israel intensified its airstrikes on Lebanon.

Silver price (XAG/USD) dips slightly after two days of gains, trading around $31.60 per troy ounce during Thursday's Asian session. However, the non-yielding Silver received support from lower yields on US Treasury bonds. 2-year and 10-year yields on US Treasury bonds stand at 3.94% and 4.03%, respectively, at the time of writing.

Market expectations are leaning toward a total of 125 basis points in rate cuts by the US Federal Reserve (Fed) over the next year. According to the CME FedWatch Tool, there is a 94.1% chance of a 25-basis-point rate cut in November. Lower interest rates enhance the attractiveness of precious metals like Silver.

In addition, the European Central Bank (ECB) is widely expected to announce a 25-basis-point reduction in both the Main Refinancing Operations and the Deposit Facility Rate in its policy meeting later in the day. Recent inflation data also suggests that the Bank of England (BoE) and the Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) may follow suit with potential rate cuts next month.

Silver prices may receive additional support from safe-haven flows due to escalating tensions in the Middle East. On Wednesday, Israel intensified its airstrikes on Lebanon, including an attack that destroyed the municipal headquarters of a major town, resulting in the deaths of 16 individuals, including the mayor. This marks the largest assault on an official Lebanese state building since the onset of the Israeli air campaign, according to Reuters.

US President Joe Biden is indicating a new willingness to leverage US military assistance to Israel, using it as both an incentive and a deterrent in its critical confrontation with Iran and Iran-backed militant groups. This strategy may increase Washington's influence over Israeli decision-making.