iShares ETF NYSE:SLV is resisting movement backwards, as silver and gold march forwards and upwards along with the rest of the global economy.

There hasn’t been any horrible news lately out of Europe, Korea, or the US, aside of course from that devastating oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. However, the world economy is on pins and needles as new news of the status of Greece and the rest of Europe hasn’t come to light yet.

Another thing that one would think would have had an impact on the market of precious medals is the fact that Canada, a G7 nation, has raised its target of the overnight rate. Now that could signal a stronger economy which usually means a stronger currency and money flowing out of the precious metals markets. Or it could mean that inflation is finally catching up this economy and there is a need to try a curb it before it gets out of hand.

Either way, the price of silver along with SLV is up today in trading with SLV resisting the 18 mark and hovering around 18.10.

The Reno Nevada based company, Tahoe Resources, Inc. when public the other day to help fund acquisitions of mines that will increase revenue and margins for the resource company.

They’ve gone through with the sale of 58 million shares at C$6 a share to raise enough money to purchase a silver mine in Guatemala for $330 million USD. The IPO represented selling on the open market a 56 percent stake in the company which now, with this IPO has a market cap of C$624.

The company will be traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol THO. The purchase of the silver mine was made from Goldcorp, the world’s second-largest gold producer based on market cap.

Investing in precious metals has always been a way to hedge against the woes of the US economy and inflation, especially in turbulent economic times like these. Well many of you know, the iShares silver trust has been the easiest way to do this by buying into the ETF which holds silver reserves for the market cap it sits at.

Well, today and yesterday the price of NYSE:SLV broke through it’s 50 day moving average of 17.60 to sit right now in mid-day trading at just over 18. That’s a big move for the precious metals market which has been out of luck lately as some groups around the world are dumping their gold and silver reserves.

But don’t worry, just as much as those groups are dumping their reserves, groups like SLV trusts are buying up these reserves which has offered some resistance to huge price decreases, so we think.

The previous metal market is enjoying all the volatility in the equities markets around the world lately.  With all eyes on the Euro decline, what’s happening in Greece, and if Asian markets are to follow this world-wide downward trend, metals like gold and silver are enjoying the ride.

After large upswings in the price per ounce of silver early last year, the price of silver has cooled down, until recently.  Silver is now touching all-time highs again with the price per ounce nearing the $19 mark.  ETFs like NYSE:SLV are reaching new highs with volume on that fund seeing larger than normal spikes.

Mining stocks, which have been a bit boring as of late, have also seen upswings in their prices, although with no real reason for such a turn. Investors are looking to put their money in more traditionally safe vehicles like silver trusts and silver bars and that is just where things look like they’re headed.

Investors looking to get the most out of precious metals should look no further than high-cost mining stocks. While mining operations are traditionally leveraged to the change in price of the underlying commodity, high-cost mining stocks enjoy even more leverage due to the inner finances of the company. I’ll explain below.

High Cost Mining Stocks
High cost mining stocks are stocks that represent a company that pays nearly the full cost of a commodity to bring it to surface. An example of a high cost mining company would be one that spends $15 for every $17 ounce of silver it brings to the surface and refines. Because of the accounting, high cost mining stocks offer huge potential to the upside and are a favorite among investors looking to rev up their returns.

The Hypothetical
Let’s assume that there is a mining company known as XYZ Mining. XYZ Mining operates several silver mines and trades at a price to earnings ratio of 10. Also, the company is a high cost operation, meaning it spends $15 to produce just one ounce of silver. Let’s also assume that the company produces 1000 ounces of silver per year.

So, when silver is $16, XYZ Mining earns $1000 per year. ($16 per ounce X 1000 ounces – $15 cost per ounce = $1000 profit)

However, should silver rise by just 6% to $17 per ounce, XYZ would earn $2000 per year. ($17 per ounce X 1000 ounces – $15 cost= $2000 profit)

As you can see, a small change in the price of silver (6%) generated a profit increase of 100%. If the company were to continue to trade at the same Price to Earnings ratio, it would double in price with just a 6% change in silver prices. Now do you see the value in high cost miners?

Demand for physical silver has soared due in part to strong industry and a desire for physical metals for investment portfolios.  But not all physical silver is created equally.  Investors need be careful to buy only physical metals that are worthy of investment, not collection.

Numismatic Metals

New investors in physical metals often make the mistake of purchasing numismatics, or those coins, bars, medallions, and ingots that are meant for collection rather than investment.  Generally, numismatics earn their value from their rarity, perceived value, or from their appeal as art.  Numismatic coins can often sell for multiples of the worth of the metals themselves, making them poor investments.

Investment Grade Silver

Choices in investment grade silver are plenty.  From junk bags of pre-1964 coinage to rounds and coins both foreign and domestic, there are a myriad of opportunities for the silver investor.  These silver products are better suited for investment because their value is derived directly from the amount of silver in the product.  For example, a 10oz bar will sell for 10x the current silver price whereas a rare American silver coin can sell for hundreds of times the value of its silver content.

Mind the Premium

Unlike exchange-traded funds or futures, physical metals do carry a premium over the current spot price.  This premium, usually 2-3%, helps cover the cost of transport, storage, and marketing of the metals itself where the futures exchanges don’t have as much overhead.  The premium isn’t all a lost cause since you’ll be able to recoup the premium upon sale of the silver, as all physical metals carry a premium over spot.  They have for the last century, and they will for the next.

Gold and silver both have been hit hard.  The dollar, in a surprising move is on the way up?  Banks are paying back their TARP “loans” and the global economy is questionable.  Maybe all that money that the government printed isn’t going to suck the dollar into oblivion.

China isn’t giving the bullish reports (although the china bulls are calling for amazing growth over the past 2 years) there is a slow down on the horizon it would seem.  The stock market is falling backwards, the dollar is advancing and precious metals like silver and gold are falling by the wayside.

Just check out this article about SLV and GLD ETFs. They have been slammed along with the price of silver and gold. Once what was on a tear is now on the decline. So what gives?

Could it be that all the hedge funds, mutual funds, and general investing public is taken profits after a rediculous upswing that cause outrageous ratios that didn’t make sense? PE’s that made 10 years down the road, but really, willing to by GE at a PE of 30? Doubtful.

OK, so we exaggerate.

But honestly, with the worldwide economy cooling, is it wise to take your money out of precious metals? We thing not. We think it’s a perfect time to buy precious metals. Prices are retreating all over the place, because the economy isn’t as great as everyone thought it was. Who cares? Why not get in on some deals and buy silver at these reduced rates while China and India prepare for the growth they promise?

The market took a rest for the month of December and most of January.  It looked like the markets of old, when prices just kept climbing with intermixing of small declines for profit takers to reap the rewards of the most recent jumps.  But, as news of inflation, jobless numbers remaining, and earnings not quite what everyone thought they were going to be, we’ve seen some large declines.

So, is it all money back into previous metals?  Ride the gold train all the way up?  We’re not sure about gold, but silver is definitely still looking good in our minds and remains a buy for many at the current price of $17 an oz.

Historically, silver is no where near it’s non-inflation adjusted price of $50 per ounce, while gold is setting a new high every other week.  So whats the deal?  Will silver finally correct itself or will we see the price of silver take a back seat as the rest of the words markets wait for the economy to recover.

Buying silver, as we said last month, for 2010 may be one of the smartest bets you can make with your money. And as we wrote that, silver was around $17 an ounce. Now, just days into 2010, it’s already creeping back towards it’s 52 week high.

$19 is near for the price of silver and if you want to buy silver, now may be the time to do so. With the jobs market still shaky and earnings reports for a flurry of companies on the S&P 500 due out in the next month, you may want to put a little bit in silver to keep your rear end covered.

Gold, although still rising amid recent selloffs, is high priced and difficult for some to get into. Well, silver tends to follow the trend of gold and you may want to ride the wave. Just look at the chart below at how closely silver follow gold. This is a 1 year comparison chart of the price of ETFs, GLD and SLV.

If you think gold is going to rise, you may just want to buy into silver and watch that price follow all the way up.

Where will the price of silver go in 2010? It’s a new decade, there’s a new set of investing rules out there, and both gold and silver are looking find new highs in the new year.

While gold is ever stretching towards new highs, silver is still lagging behind. Silver ranged in price from $10 to $19 in 2009, still well, well below it’s highest price ever. $49.50. That’s right, in 1980 the price of silver was 2.5 to 5 times higher than it’s all time high of nearly $50!

Gold on the other hand continues to break through it’s all time highs as world banks stock pile the precious metal to back their currencies and individual investors buy gold to combat inflation, looming around every corner.

So where oh where will the price of silver go? We think up, and up and up. But what do we know, we just write this blog….