iShares Silver Trust (SLV) hit a 52-week high of $65.52 on Wednesday, capping an impressive run for the precious metal ETF. So what's driving silver's sudden popularity?

The Safe-Haven Trade Is Back

Silver has caught a bid from elevated economic and geopolitical uncertainty, with investors increasingly treating the metal as a safe-haven asset. The narrative goes like this: concerns about a potential AI-driven equity bubble combined with uncertainty over who will chair the Federal Reserve next have investors pulling back from risk assets and rotating into defensive positions. Silver benefits from that rotation.

There's also an interest rate angle at play. With expectations building for lower rates ahead, bonds look less attractive on a relative basis. That's prompted further rotation into commodities, and silver has been a clear beneficiary. The metal's performance this year stands out compared to historical trends, outperforming under conditions that typically favor safe-haven assets.

How to Get Exposure

If you're interested in participating in the silver market through iShares Silver Trust, the process is straightforward. You'll need a brokerage account to buy shares. Many platforms now offer fractional share trading, which means you don't need to purchase full shares.

At the current price of $63.85, a $100 investment would get you about 1.57 shares of SLV.

For those looking to take a bearish position, things get more complicated. You'll need either access to an options trading platform or a broker that allows short selling. With options, you could buy a put option or sell a call option at a strike price above the current trading level. Either approach lets you profit if shares decline.

Current Trading Action

As of the latest update, SLV shares were trading 1.59% lower at $63.77, pulling back slightly from the Wednesday peak.