Silver prices today, Friday, July 17, 2026: Silver prices hit 8-month lows as airstrikes continue across Iran

Silver (SI=F) July futures opened astatine $55.83 per ounce connected Friday, July 17, 2026, down 0.6% from Thursday's closing price. The metallic terms moved little this morning, reaching $55.58 arsenic of 8:13 a.m. ET.

Silver prices opened astatine eight-month lows this greeting arsenic the warring betwixt the U.S. and Iran intensifies. Compared to 1 period ago, today's opening metallic terms is down implicit 20%.

For the sixth consecutive day, the U.S. has struck Iranian targets successful retaliation for Iranian attacks connected lipid tankers attempting to safely navigate the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has refused to relinquish power of the strait contempt continued U.S. airstrikes, and has responded successful benignant with strikes of their ain crossed the Middle East.

With lipid prices up astir 13% implicit the past 5 days, ostentation is front-page quality yet again, prompting galore analysts to judge higher involvement rates are successful store aboriginal this twelvemonth arsenic the Fed grapples with rising prices. Higher rates, adjacent the menace of higher rates, are going to support a lid connected metallic prices for immoderate clip to come.

Current terms of metallic

The opening terms of metallic futures connected Friday was 0.6% little compared to Thursday's closing price. Here's however today's opening metallic terms has changed versus past week, month, and year:

• One week ago: -6.9%

• One period ago: -20.6%

• One twelvemonth ago: +47.5%

For context, silver's year-over-year maturation was 173.3% connected May 14.

24/7 metallic terms tracking: Don't hide you tin show the existent terms of metallic connected Yahoo Finance 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

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Investing successful silver? Here's however to debar taxes. 

Do you person to wage taxes connected silver? Yes. Silver is simply a superior asset, truthful erstwhile you merchantability it for much than you paid, the summation is taxable and reported connected Schedule D of your national return.

Many investors presume holding metallic for much than a twelvemonth qualifies them for the aforesaid semipermanent superior gains rates arsenic stocks (0%, 15% oregon 20%).

Spoiler: It doesn't.

The 28% collectible taxation trap

The IRS classifies carnal precious metals — including bars, rounds, and coins — arsenic collectibles. That classification changes the taxation mathematics successful a large way.

Short-term gains

If you clasp metallic for 1 twelvemonth oregon less, your nett is taxed arsenic mean income. Depending connected your taxation bracket, that could spell arsenic precocious arsenic 37%.

Long-term gains

If you clasp metallic for much than 1 year, your summation is taxed astatine your mean income complaint — but nary much than 28%.

Here's what that looks similar successful existent life:

• If you're successful the 10%, 12%, 22% oregon 24% bracket, your metallic summation is taxed astatine that aforesaid rate.

• If you're successful the 32%, 35% oregon 37% bracket, you're capped astatine 28%.

So if you're a middle-income earner accustomed to paying 15% connected banal gains, metallic tin outgo you more, possibly 22% oregon 24%, depending connected your adjusted gross income.

If you're successful the apical brackets, the 28% headdress is technically a discount versus 35% oregon 37% — but it's inactive higher than the 20% max semipermanent superior gains complaint connected stocks.

That quality adds up rapidly erstwhile you're talking five- oregon six-figure gains.

Learn more: How to debar taxes erstwhile investing successful silver

Price of metallic illustration

Whether you're tracking the terms of metallic since past period oregon past year, the price-of-silver illustration beneath shows the precious metal's worth travel truthful acold this year.

More metallic sum from the Yahoo Finance team: 

• 5 ways to put successful metallic for beginners

• Silver terms volatility: What to cognize and however to put successful 2026

• Silver vs. gold: Which metallic made investors much wealth successful the past 50 years?

• 3 predictions astir metallic prices successful the adjacent decennary

• Why is metallic outperforming gold? What to cognize earlier you invest.

• How to put successful metallic successful 5 steps