Silver (XAG/USD) attracts some follow-through selling during the Asian session on Thursday and drops to its lowest level since September 19 in the last hour. Bearish traders now await a sustained break below the $30.00 psychological mark before positioning for an extension of the recent sharp retracement slide from a 12-year peak touched last month.
The overnight close below the 50% Fibonacci retracement level of the August-October rally and a subsequent break through the 100-day Simple Moving Average (SMA) for the first time since September could be seen as a fresh trigger for bearish traders. Moreover, oscillators on the daily chart have been gaining negative traction and are still away from being in the oversold zone. This, in turn, suggests that the path of least resistance for the XAG/USD remains to the downside and supports prospects for a further depreciating move.
The white metal might then accelerate the fall towards the 61.8% Fibo. level, around the $29.65-$29.60 region. The downward trajectory could extend further towards the $29.20-$29.15 area before the XAG/USD eventually breaks below the $29.00 mark and tests a technically significant 200-day SMA, currently pegged near the $28.65 zone.
On the flip side, any meaningful recovery attempt might now confront a stiff barrier near the $30.60 region (50% Fibo. level). Some follow-through strength, however, could trigger a short-covering rally and allow the XAG/USD to reclaim the $31.00 mark, though the momentum is more likely to remain capped near the $31.20 support-turned-resistance. The latter should act as a key pivotal point, which if cleared decisively will suggest that the commodity has formed a near-term bottom and pave the way for additional gains.