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NBA Finals fans miss eye candy on court. Where is the iconic logo?

Sport 3 Mins Read

OKLAHOMA CITY — As Game 1 of the NBA Finals began at Paycom Center, discerning fans on social media asked: “Why aren’t there NBA Finals logos on the court?”

For the most part – there are two exceptions – the NBA has not placed Finals logos on the court since the 2014 Finals.

Some fans clamored to see a court that matched the magnitude of the event – meaning they didn’t want to see a court that was no different than a regular-season game. It was pointed out that the league’s NBA Cup court has logos on it for the in-season tournament.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver took note of the comments and explained.

“I saw it on social media, as you did,” Silver told a small group of reporters at an NBA Cares event at the Boys and Girls Club of Oklahoma County on Friday, June 6. “I saw the contrast with the (NBA) Cup. In the case of the Cup, of course, we have the opportunity to plan well in advance and to design a specific neutral court for a Cup championship game, and the teams design their own Cup courts. It actually takes a significant amount of time to create new courts in terms of how they’re painted, et cetera.”

The logos on the Thunder court were painted a while ago, and there are Finals logos on the basket stanchions at the Thunder’s arena.

He said the league will revisit the topic.

Why aren’t there NBA Finals logos or Finals trophy logos on the court?

Silver also explained that beyond the time required to paint the logos, there is a perceived safety issue.

“One of the reasons we moved away from the logos on the courts is – whether it was perception or reality – there was a sense that maybe the logos added some slipperiness to the court, and it was a change sort of on the court that was coming just at the time of the Finals,’ Silver said.

“And again, maybe it’s for superstitious reasons or just a sense from teams that we shouldn’t be changing things around such important competition. That’s largely why we stopped putting the logos on the court. But when I saw that suggestion on social media, maybe there’s a way around it. I hadn’t thought all that much about it until I saw it.”

Silver seemed to like the idea of at least seeing what can be done to make the court look special.

‘I’m nostalgic as well for certain things. And also, I think for a media-driven culture, whether it’s people watching live or seeing those images on social media, it’s nice when you’re looking back on highlights and they stand out because you see that trophy logo or some other indication that it’s a special event. So we’ll look at it.’

What do other pro sports leagues do with logos at big events?

For Super Bowl 59 in February, the NFL had its standard logo at midfield and had its Super Bowl logos on both sides of the 50-yard line.

The NHL regularly has its Stanley Cup logo on the ice.

MLB had its World Series logos on the field in 2024, but outside of the third- and first-base lines.

The WNBA did not have a Finals logo on the court in 2024.

Follow NBA reporter Jeff Zillgitt on social media @JeffZillgitt

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

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Sport

Keyshawn Davis vs. Edwin De Los Santos fight canceled. Here’s why.

Sport 2 Mins Read

Boxer Keyshawn Davis lost his WBO world lightweight title without even stepping into the ring.

The belt was stripped from him Friday, June 6 after he stepped on the scale.

Davis weighed in at 139.3 pounds, 4.3 pounds over the maximum weight of 135 pounds for his lightweight title defense set for Saturday, June 7 against Edwin De Los Santos, who weighed in at 134.7 pounds.

That led to the cancellation of the 12-round bout, which would have been Davis’ first title defense, in his hometown of Norfolk, Virginia.

Top Rank Boxing, the promoter, announced the cancellation of the fight Friday night on X.

But the event will go on, with a lightweight bout between Abdullah Mason (18-0, 16 KOs) and Jeremia Nakathila (26-4, 21 KOs) to serve as the main event, according to Top Rank Boxing.

Davis (13-0, 9 KOs) had an hour to try to make weight but said he did not intend to try.

“Outgrew the weight,’’ he said during an interview with Top Rank Boxing. “I’ve been making the weight for over four years now. I just outgrew the weight. I tried. I was up late last night trying to make that weight. I woke up early.’’

Bob Arum, the CEO of Top Rank Boxing, which promotes Davis, cast doubt on the fighter’s efforts to make weight.

“You can tell if a guy is trying to make weight and just can’t,’’ Arum told Dan Rafael of Fight Freaks Unite. “You can see that he’s dehydrated. That wasn’t the case with Keyshawn. He never really tried to make 135. That’s my view of what happened.”

Davis indicated he still wanted to fight, as did De Los Santos (16-2, 14 KOs), who would have been the only fighter eligible to win the WBO title. But negotiations apparently fell through.

Davis, an Olympic silver medalist at the Tokyo Games in 2021, won the WBO title in February with a fourth-round TKO of Denys Berinchyk. He said he plans to move up in weight and fight at 140 pounds.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

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Sport

The new rivalry: French Open final pairs top two men’s players

Sport 5 Mins Read

Novak Djokovic keeps trying, but there’s only so much he can do to stave off the generational change in men’s tennis. 

With each passing Grand Slam, it looks more and more like a two-person sport.

Djokovic’s bid for a 25th major title ended Friday in the French Open semifinals, with No. 1-ranked Jannik Sinner delivering a baseline clinic that would have made prime Djokovic proud. 

Sinner’s 6-4, 7-5, 7-6 (7-3) victory in three sets up a final Sunday against No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz that has been a long time coming with one of tennis’ four big trophies on the line. Djokovic had his era, but it’s pretty clear that those two now own the sport. 

Alcaraz, the defending champion at Roland Garros, is seeking a fifth Grand Slam title just a month past his 22nd birthday. Sinner, 23, has been so dominant in this tournament – and nearly everywhere else in the world over the last couple years – that a victory Sunday would put him on the precipice of holding all four major titles at the same time, something Djokovic achieved across 2015 and 2016.

Though this marks the first time Sinner and Alcaraz have played in a Slam final, it feels like the new normal. Not only have they conquered the 38-year old Djokovic, whose last major was the 2023 US Open, they have zipped past the likes of Daniil Medvedev, Alexander Zverev and a handful of others who were regularly advancing deep at the Grand Slam but don’t seem like true threats anymore.  

As tennis waits for the likes of Jack Draper, Ben Shelton, Arthur Fils and Joao Fonseca to round out their skills into a Grand Slam-winning package, Alcaraz and Sinner have established enough separation over their peers to become the defining rivalry of the 2020s.

Sunday might be the first, but it won’t be the last. 

What makes this such a delicious French final, though, is the dynamic between the two of them. 

Since losing last year’s Wimbledon quarterfinal to Medvedev, Sinner is 49-1 against everyone except Alcaraz. His record against Alcaraz during that span? Zero for two. 

It’s a fascinating place in their rivalry, which began in the juniors when Alcaraz was just 15. Even though Sinner is considered the best player in the world — and with good reason given his record and consistency — Alcaraz has a 7-4 lead in the head-to-head matchup as pros.

And given the long runway for their shared dominance of the sport, it feels like we’re still in the early stages of figuring out exactly what that record means. 

Ever since Sinner ascended to No. 1, he has been machine-like; a prime Djokovic archetype whose consistency, shot discipline and power make it almost impossible for opponents to find a hole in his arsenal. 

Alcaraz has been more volatile: Brilliant when engaged and motivated, but often a bit immature and unfocused when he gives into his natural pull toward creativity and unnecessary flair. It has led to some perplexing losses over the last year, and even moments in matches where he’ll allow inferior players to challenge him. 

But against Sinner, undoubtedly because he respects his ability so much, Alcaraz tends more toward the meat and potatoes. We saw that play out just a few weeks ago in the final of the Italian Open, where Alcaraz abandoned the showmanship and powered to a 7-6, 6-1 victory in Sinner’s home country. 

Given the level Sinner has played at in Paris, though, reaching the final without dropping a set, it would be hard to consider Alcaraz a huge favorite even if he is more naturally suited to the clay. 

When they played in the French semifinals last year, Sinner looked like he was on the verge of victory before Alcaraz made the final push and won 6-3 in the fifth set. Their previous meeting in a Grand Slam also went the distance: A 6-3, 6-7, 6-7, 7-5, 6-3 Alcaraz win at the US Open in 2022 that lasted more than five hours and is widely considered to be the best tennis match of the decade. 

Though Djokovic competed well enough that you could see him maybe sneaking in one more Wimbledon title if everything breaks his way, Fridays match was an undeniable statement that he is now a level below Sinner. He’s not completely out of the way as a contender, but it’s going to take something extraordinary for anyone to disrupt Alcaraz and Sinner meeting in a bunch of Grand Slam finals over the next couple years. 

Tennis always moves on, and this is now their era. If they can consistently reproduce the high level of tennis and drama Sunday that they’ve drawn out of each other in their biggest matches so far, saying goodbye to the legends of the last 20 years won’t seem as sad. 

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

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Sport

Commemorate Texas’ first WCWS championship with a USA TODAY page print

Sport 3 Mins Read

So close for four years, the Texas Longhorns finally broke through to win the Women’s College World Series for the first time.

Texas had lost in the championship series in 2022 and 2024, but in 2025 the Longhorns (56-12) set a school record for victories, beat the four-time defending champions and toppled Texas Tech in the best-of-three championship series.

Celebrate the Longhorns’ historic NCAA softball championship with a beautifully designed commemorative page print from USA TODAY. Featuring a bold headline and a striking image of the Horns celebrating on the field at Devon Park in Oklahoma City, this keepsake captures the moment perfectly.

Buy our Texas championship page print

Printed on premium, acid-free art paper, this collectible starts at $35 (plus shipping). Elegant upgrade options include framed editions and backgrounds in canvas, acrylic, metal or wood through the USA TODAY Store.

In 2022 and 2024, the Longhorns lost in the championship series to Oklahoma, winner of the prior four titles. In 2025, after beating Florida 3-0 in the WCWS opener, they upended the Sooners 4-2 in the winner’s bracket. Then Texas reached the championship series for the third time in four years with a 2-0 victory over Tennessee.

Against Texas Tech, the Longhorns rallied in the bottom of the sixth inning to win 2-1 in Game 1. They lost 4-3 in Game 2 with the tying run on third base.

In Game 3 on June 6, the Longhorns left no doubt who would rule college softball. They scored five runs in the bottom of the first inning against NiJaree Canady, the million-dollar transfer from Stanford who had thrown every pitch for the Red Raiders during the WCWS. She didn’t return for the second inning. Mia Scott’s grand slam in the fourth inning made it 10-0 Texas.

The Red Raiders stayed alive with three runs in the top of the fifth and scored again in the seventh. After a final groundout, with a 10-4 victory secured, the Longhorns stormed the field, celebrated madly and hoisted the trophy. Pitcher Teagan Kavan was selected the most outstanding player.

Own a piece of Longhorns history today! Every Texas fan needs this page print on a wall.

Buy our Texas championship page print

Contact Gene Myers at gmyers@gannett.com. Follow him on X@GeneMyers. After nearly a quarter-century as sports editor at the Detroit Free Press, Myers unretired to coordinate book and poster projects across the USA TODAY Network. Explore more books and page prints from the USA TODAY Network, including titles on the Florida Gators’ NCAA basketball championship and the Philadelphia Eagles’ victory in Super Bowl 59.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

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Stock

Clusters of Long Winning Streaks: What They’re Telling Us

Stock 4 Mins Read

Recently, the S&P 500 ($SPX) has been racking up a good number of wins.

Since late April, the index has logged its third winning streak of at least five: a nine-day streak from April 22–May 2 and a six-day streak from May 12–May 19. That makes for a cluster of long winning streaks, which is something that also showed up in late 2023 and mid-2024.

To put it simply, these bunches of buying usually show up in uptrends. Note how there were no five-day winning streaks during the three corrections pictured on the chart below (in August–October 2023, July–August 2024, and February–April 2025). Most of the clusters happened as the S&P 500 was in the middle of a consistent upswing; the only time we saw a long winning streak occur right before a big downturn was in late July 2024. That came after a strong three-month run from the April lows, with the S&P 500 gaining 14% in three months.

CHART 1. WINNING STREAKS IN THE S&P 500. Since late April, the S&P 500 has logged a nine-day streak from April 22 to May 2 and a six-day streak from May 12 to May 19.

Currently, the SPX is up 23% in just under two months. It wouldn’t be surprising to see a break in the action at some point soon.

The key difference between now and July is that back in July, the S&P 500 was making new highs for two straight months. That’s not the case now, as the index is still below the February 2025 highs. So it’s not apples to apples, but, at some point, the market will have to deal with more than a minor pullback once again.

Sentiment Check

After the close on Wednesday, I ran an X poll asking if the 0.01% move was bullish or bearish. The result: 61% said bullish.

This tells us that most people saw Wednesday’s pause as a sign that the bears are unable to push the market higher, which could be true. But it also suggests complacency. The onus still is squarely on the bears to do something with this, with the only true sign of weakness in the last six weeks coming on May 21, when the S&P 500 plummeted 1.6%. That ended up being an aberration… for now.

UBER Stock: One to Watch

Sometimes, a specific stock can provide clues about the broader market’s next step. Right now, we think that the stock is UBER.

Technically speaking, UBER is at a critical spot, and it’s also an important stock given that it was one of the first growth names to break out to new all-time highs. The stock remains in a long-term uptrend, which, of course, is bullish, but it has quietly pulled back 13% from its May 20 high of $93 and was just down nine out of 10 trading sessions (see the weekly chart of UBER stock). We can see that the stock has fully retraced the price action from the pattern breakout near $82.

CHART 2. WEEKLY CHART OF UBER STOCK. The stock is in a long-term uptrend, although it has retraced. Here’s where things get really interesting. UBER has now formed a potential bearish head-and-shoulders pattern, seen on the daily chart. If the stock breaks below $82, it will target the 71-zone.

CHART 3. DAILY CHART OF UBER STOCK. Will UBER’s stock price hold support or break below it? This chart is one to monitor.

So, here are three outcomes to watch for. UBER’s stock price could:

  1. Hold support (bullish).
  2. Break below $82, but then reverse higher, which would be a bear trap (bullish).
  3. Break below $82 and continue lower and hit the downside target (bearish).

If #3 occurs, the odds are UBER won’t be declining by itself; it’ll likely drag the broader market down with it. This shows the significance of UBER stock, which certainly makes it one to keep an eye on.

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Stock

Three Charts Showing Proper Moving Average Alignment

Stock 5 Mins Read

I’m a huge fan of using platforms like StockCharts to help make my investment process more efficient and more effective.  The StockCharts scan engine helps me identify stocks that are demonstrating constructive technical configuration based on the shape and relationship of multiple moving averages.

Today I’ll share with you one of my favorite scans, called “Moving Averages in Correct Order”, and walk through three charts that highlight the benefits of identifying charts in primary uptrend phases.

Primary Uptrends Can Be Defined By Moving Averages

This scan, which StockCharts members can access in the Sample Scan Library, basically looks for three criteria to be met for any chart:

  1. 20-day EMA > 50-day SMA
  2. 50-day SMA > 100-day SMA
  3. 100-day SMA > 200-day SMA

The general approach here is to find charts where the short-term moving averages are above their longer-term counterparts.  By making multiple comparisons, we can ensure a more consistent uptrend phase based on the recent price action.  

Let’s review two charts that I feel are representative of the stocks that will tend to come up using this scanning approach.

You’ll Probably Find Two Types of Charts in the Results

The most common result will be a chart that is in a long-term primary uptrend, making consistently higher highs and higher lows.  Netflix (NFLX) is a great example of this sort of “long and strong” price action.

The four moving averages have remained in the proper order as described above for most of the last 12 months.  After NFLX pulled back to its April low, a bounce back above the March swing high moved the 21-day exponential moving average back above the 50-day simple moving average.  From that breakout point, the stock has continued to push to new all-time highs into early June.

One thing I love about this scan is it helps me confirm which stocks are in persistent uptrends, because those are the types of charts that I generally want to be following as they trend higher.  But sometimes, a pullback chart will come up in the scan as well.  Here’s TJX, which has recently pulled back after achieving a new all-time high in May.

We can see that the moving averages returned to the proper order in early April after rotating higher off a major low in mid-March.  From that point, TJX had a false breakout in mid-April before finally completing the move to a new high in early May.  TJX subsequently gapped lower after an earnings miss, and the stock has now pulled back to an ascending 50-day moving average.

The TJX chart reminds me of three benefits of following moving averages over time.  First, we can look at the slope of an individual moving average to evaluate the shape of the trend on a specific time frame.  Second, we can compare multiple moving averages to validate the trend on multiple time frames.  Finally, we can use moving averages as potential support and resistance levels in the event of a pullback.

With TJX testing an ascending 50-day moving average this week, I’m inclined to treat this chart as “innocent until proven guilty” as long as it remains above this key trend barometer.  But if and when the 50-day moving average is violated, and if the moving averages are no longer in the proper order, then I would need to reevaluate a long position.

Why the Transition to Proper Order is So Important

This final example shows how the transition between moving average configurations can prove so valuable in understanding trend transitions.  Here’s a daily chart of VeriSign (VRSN) showing how the relationship between the moving averages can help us better label the different trend phases.

On the left third of the chart, we can see the moving averages mostly in a bearish order, confirming a distribution phase for the stock.  Then in June 2024, the moving averages change to where there’s no real clean definition of the trend.  This represents a consolidation phase, where buyers and sellers are essentially in agreement.

Finally, we can see that when the moving averages finally achieve a bullish configuration, VRSN is now in an accumulation phase of higher highs and higher lows.  And as long as those moving averages remain in the proper order, the uptrend phase is confirmed.

The goal with this moving average scan is to help us identify charts that are just rotating into the accumulation phase.  It’s also designed to encourage us to stick with winning trends as long as the price action confirms the uptrend.  And if and when the moving average configuration changes, then our approach should probably change as well!

RR#6,

Dave

PS- Ready to upgrade your investment process?  Check out my free behavioral investing course!

David Keller, CMT

President and Chief Strategist

Sierra Alpha Research LLC

marketmisbehavior.com

https://www.youtube.com/c/MarketMisbehavior

Disclaimer: This blog is for educational purposes only and should not be construed as financial advice.  The ideas and strategies should never be used without first assessing your own personal and financial situation, or without consulting a financial professional.  

The author does not have a position in mentioned securities at the time of publication.    Any opinions expressed herein are solely those of the author and do not in any way represent the views or opinions of any other person or entity.

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Investing

Trump Admin Strips “Safety” from AI Oversight Institute in Move to Rebrand

Investing 5 Mins Read

The Trump administration announced a rebrand of the US Artificial Intelligence (AI) Safety Institute, stripping the word “safety” from the organization’s title and mission.

The institute, once tasked with developing standards to ensure AI model transparency, robustness and reliability, will now be known as the Center for AI Standards and Innovation (CAISI). According to the announcement, its focus will be on enhancing US competitiveness and guarding against foreign threats, not constraining the industry with regulations.

The decision, announced on Tuesday (June 3) by US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, marks a sharp departure from the Biden-era posture on AI governance.

‘For far too long, censorship and regulations have been used under the guise of national security. Innovators will no longer be limited by these standards,” Lutnick said in a statement.

“CAISI will evaluate and enhance US innovation of these rapidly developing commercial AI systems while ensuring they remain secure to our national security standards.”

Established in November 2023 under President Joe Biden’s executive order on AI, the original AI Safety Institute was housed within the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). It aimed to assess AI risks, publish safety benchmarks and convene stakeholders in a consortium focused on responsible AI development.

But with the Trump administration’s return to the White House, the emphasis has shifted.

Instead of curbing AI risks through regulation and safety protocols, the renamed CAISI will now prioritize “pro-innovation” objectives, including the evaluation of foreign AI threats, mitigation of potential backdoors and malware in adversarial models and avoidance of what the administration sees as regulatory overreach from foreign governments.

According to the commerce department, CAISI’s primary tasks will include collaborating with NIST laboratories to help the private sector develop voluntary standards that enhance the security of AI systems, particularly in areas like cybersecurity, biosecurity and the misuse of chemical technologies. The center will also establish voluntary agreements with AI developers and evaluators, and lead unclassified evaluations of AI capabilities that may pose national security risks.

In addition to those directives, CAISI will lead comprehensive assessments of both domestic and foreign AI systems, focusing on how adversary technologies are being adopted and used, and identifying any vulnerabilities, such as backdoors or covert malicious behavior, that could pose security threats.

The center is also expected to work closely with the Department of Defense, the Department of Energy, the Department of Homeland Security, the Office of Science and Technology Policy, and the intelligence community.

CAISI will remain housed within NIST and will continue to work with NIST’s internal organizations, including the Information Technology Laboratory and the Bureau of Industry and Security.

Rise of foreign AI spurs national security concerns

The reformation of the institute reflects Trump’s broader AI strategy: loosen domestic oversight while doubling down on global AI dominance. Within his first week back in office, Trump signed an executive order revoking Biden’s prior directives on AI governance and removed his AI policy documents from the White House website.

That same week, he announced the US$500 billion Stargate initiative — a massive public-private partnership involving OpenAI, Oracle and SoftBank Group (OTC Pink:SOBKY,TSE:9984) that is intended to make the US the global leader in AI.

The Trump administration’s pivot has been partly catalyzed by growing concerns over foreign AI competition, particularly from China. In January, Chinese tech firm DeepSeek unveiled a powerful AI assistant app, raising alarms in Washington due to its technical sophistication and uncertain security architecture.

Trump called the app a ‘wake-up call,” and lawmakers quickly moved to introduce legislation banning DeepSeek from all government devices. The Navy also issued internal guidance advising its personnel not to use the app “in any capacity.”

Signs of an impending transformation had emerged earlier in the year.

Reuters reported in February that no one from the original AI Safety Institute attended the high-profile AI summit in Paris that month, despite Vice President JD Vance representing the US delegation.

Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill reshaping US AI governance

Trump’s massive One Big Beautiful Bill, which includes much of the aforementioned legislation, is poised to dramatically reshape the landscape of AI regulation in the US. The bill introduces a 10 year moratorium on state-level AI laws, effectively centralizing regulatory authority at the federal level.

This move aims to eliminate the patchwork of state regulations, which the administration claims would foster a uniform national framework to bolster American competitiveness in the global AI arena.

The bill’s provision to preempt state AI regulations has sparked significant controversy.

A coalition of 260 bipartisan state lawmakers from all 50 states has urged to remove this clause, arguing that it undermines state autonomy and hampers the ability to address local AI-related concerns. Critics also warn that the moratorium could delay necessary protections, potentially endangering innovation, transparency and public trust. They argue that it may isolate the US from global AI norms and reinforce monopolies within the industry.

Despite the backlash, proponents within the Trump administration assert that the bill is essential for maintaining US leadership in AI. The One Big Beautiful Bill is currently being debated in the US Senate.

Securities Disclosure: I, Giann Liguid, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

This post appeared first on investingnews.com

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Investing

Should You Invest in Silver Bullion?

Investing 5 Mins Read

Investing in silver bullion has pros and cons, and what’s right for one investor may not work for another.

Interest in the silver market tends to flourish whenever the silver price increases, with investors beginning to wonder if silver is a good investment and it is the right time to add physical silver to their investment portfolios.

While silver can be volatile, the precious metal is also seen as a safe-haven asset, similar to its sister metal gold. Safe-haven investments can offer protection in times of uncertainty, and with tensions running high, they could be a good choice for those looking to preserve their wealth in difficult times.

With those factors in mind, let’s look at the pros and cons of buying silver bullion.

What are the pros of investing in silver bullion?

Silver can offer protection

Silver bullion is often considered a good safe-haven asset. As mentioned, investors often flock to precious metals in times of turmoil, politically and economically. For example, physical silver and gold have both performed strongly in recent years against a background of geopolitical instability and high inflation.

Silver bullion is a tangible asset

While cash, mining stocks, bonds and other financial products are accepted forms of wealth, they are essentially still digital promissory notes. For that reason, they are all vulnerable to depreciation due to actions like printing money. A troy ounce of silver bullion, on the other hand, is a finite tangible asset. That means that, although it is vulnerable to market fluctuations like other commodities, physical silver isn’t likely to completely crash because of its inherent and real value. Market participants can buy bullion in different forms, such as silver coins or silver jewelry, or they can buy silver bullion bars.

Silver’s cheaper and more flexible than gold

Compared to gold bullion, silver is significantly cheaper, which makes it more accessible for investors looking for an affordable entrance to the precious metals market. This can make it easier for investors to build up a portfolio over time.

Another benefit is that investors who need to convert their precious metals to currency will have an easier time selling a portion of their silver portfolio than those looking to sell part of their gold. Just as a US$100 bill can be a challenge to break at the store, divvying up an ounce of gold bullion can be a challenge. As a result, silver bullion is more practical and versatile, particularly for everyday investors who need flexibility in their investments.

Silver offers higher returns than gold

Silver tends to move in tandem with gold: when the price of gold rises, so too does the price of silver. Because the white metal is currently worth around 1/100th the price of gold, buying silver bullion is affordable and stands to see a much bigger percentage gain if the silver price goes up. In fact, silver has outperformed the gold price in bull markets. It’s possible for an investor to hedge their bets with silver bullion in their investment portfolio.

History is on silver’s side

Silver and gold have been used as legal tender for thousands of years, and that lineage lends them a sense of stability. Many buyers find comfort in knowing that silver has been recognized for its value throughout a great deal of mankind’s history, and so there’s an expectation that it will endure while a fiat currency may fall to the wayside. When individuals invest in physical silver, there is a reassurance that the metal has value that will continue to persist. Additionally, its increasing use as an industrial metal in the energy transition has improved the metals fundamentals even further.

What are the cons of investing in silver bullion?

Danger of theft

Unlike most other investments, such as stocks, holding silver bullion can leave investors vulnerable to theft. And of course, the more physical assets, including silver jewelry, that reside within your home, the more at risk you are for losing significantly if a burglary takes place. It’s possible to secure your assets from looting by using a safety deposit box in a bank or a safe box in your home, but this will incur additional costs.

Weaker return on investment

Silver may not perform as well as other investments, such as real estate or even other metals. Mining stocks, especially silver stocks that pay dividends, may also be a better option than silver bullion for some investors. Royalty and streaming companies are another option for those interested in investing in silver, as are exchange-traded funds and silver futures.

High silver demand leads to higher premiums

When investors try to buy any bullion product, such as an American silver ounce coin known as a silver eagle, they quickly find out that the physical silver price is generally higher than the silver spot price due to premiums used by sellers. What’s more, if demand is high, premiums can go up fast, making the purchase of physical silver bullion more expensive and a less attractive investment.

Bullion lacks quick liquidity

Silver bullion coins are not legal tender, meaning they can’t be used for every day purchases. Since the metal is usually used as an investment, this isn’t often an issue. However, it does mean that if silver needs to be sold in a hurry to cover expenses, investors will need to find a buyer. If you can’t access a bullion dealer and are in a jam, pawn shops and jewelers are an option, but they won’t necessarily pay well.

How to add physical silver to your portfolio?

How to buy silver digitally?

Larisa Sprott: Gold, Silver Early in Cycle, Smart Money Buying Now

Securities Disclosure: I, Melissa Pistilli, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

This post appeared first on investingnews.com

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