3 Silver ETFs for Defensive Investors as U.S.-Iran Tensions Rise

Silver’s (XAGUSD) spot price climbed on Friday as geopolitical uncertainty continued to build across the Middle East on the back of renewed tensions between the U.S. and Iran.

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Using the TipRanks Best Silver ETFs tool, this article spotlights three ETFs investors can rely on to diversify their portfolios and act as defensive assets amid heightened market volatility.

The ETFs are the ProShares Ultra Silver AGQ +9.93% ▲ , the ETFMG Prime Junior Silver Miners ETF SILJ +0.58% ▲ , and the Aberdeen Standard Physical Silver Shares ETF SIVR +5.07% ▲ . These were selected based on their leading performance over the last 12 months.

ProShares Ultra Silver AGQ +9.93% ▲

By trading silver futures, this fund offers investors leveraged access to short‑term moves in the silver market while charging a relatively steep 0.95% expense ratio and overseeing about $2.38 billion in assets under management.

The ETF’s price has jumped about 319% over the last 12 months. The summary of all indicators under the AGQ ETF Technical Analysis page indicates that this ETF is a Strong Buy based on two Bearish, five Neutral, and 13 Bullish signals logged over the past month.

ETFMG Prime Junior Silver Miners ETF SILJ +0.58% ▲

Unlike AGQ, which is tied directly to spot prices, SILJ concentrates on the silver mining value chain, giving investors access to smaller, early‑stage miners engaged in discovering and advancing new silver resources. SILJ has about $5.49 billion under management and has an expense ratio of 0.69%.

The fund gained about 240% over the last 12 months. The summary of all indicators under the SILJ ETF Technical Analysis page indicates that this ETF is a Buy based on six Bearish, two Neutral, and 12 Bullish signals recorded over the past month.

**Aberdeen Standard Physical Silver Shares ETF **SIVR +5.07% ▲

Holding a sizable portfolio of physical silver, SIVR offers investors straightforward exposure to the metal itself and ranks as the largest of the three funds at about $6.33 billion in assets. It also carries the lowest annual expense ratio of 0.30%.

The ETF’s price has grown about 174% over the last 12 months. The summary of all indicators under the SIVR ETF Technical Analysis page suggests that this ETF is a Buy based on five Bearish, two Neutral, and 13 Bullish signals posted over the past month.

Final Takeaway

Looking at both its 12‑month track record and its technical signals, ProShares Ultra Silver AGQ +9.93% ▲ stands out as the top performer in this trio, but that outperformance comes at a cost, as it also carries the highest fee load among the funds.

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