Why are ASX silver stocks getting hammered today?

On the heels of a stellar year, ASX silver stocks are taking a beating on the last full trading day of 2025.

In late morning trade on Tuesday the S&P/ASX All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO) is up 0.2%.

But you're unlikely to find any of the Aussie silver miners in the green today.

Here's how these top ASX silver stocks are tracking at time of writing:

• Silver Mines Ltd (ASX: SVL) shares are down 4.4% at 21.5 cents
• Investigator Silver Ltd (ASX: IVR) shares are down 6.7% at 14.0 cents
• Sun Silver Ltd (ASX: SS1) shares are down 4.7% at $1.925
• Unico Silver Ltd (ASX: USL) shares are down 7.7% at 84.0 cents
• South32 Limited (ASX: S32) shares are down 2.8% at $3.49. (South 32 has significant silver exposure from its Cannington silver mine.)

Now, despite today's losses, you shouldn't feel too sorry for stockholders of the above companies.

That's because the silver price hit new record highs of US$80 per ounce last week, putting the precious metal up 176% over 12 months.

And that's helped send the Aussie silver miners soaring.

Here's how these same ASX silver stocks have performed over the past full year, inclusive of today's intraday slide:

• Silver Mines shares are up 165.0%
• Investigator Silver shares are up 600.0%
• Sun Silver shares are up 193.9%
• Unico Silver shares are up 322.5%
• South 32 shares are up 2.9% (reflecting its more diverse mining operations)

Here's what's happening today.

ASX silver stocks flattened on silver sell-down

After the historic rally to US$80 per ounce last week, the silver price tumbled 8% overnight to currently be trading for US$72.27 per ounce.

But that sell-off shouldn't have come as any great surprise.

Matt Maley, chief market strategist at Miller Tabak + Co said that precious metals (the record setting gold price also has slipped more than 4%) "had become quite overbought on a short-term basis, so the fact that they're seeing some outsized declines this morning is not the end of the world at all".

Commenting on the pullback in international mining stocks, Maley added (quoted by Bloomberg), "We believe that any weakness in these names over the next week or two should create another good buying opportunity."

David Meger, director of metals trading at High Ridge Futures noted (quoted by Reuters), "All the metals moved up to recent and all-time highs. We are seeing profit-taking pullbacks off of those spectacularly high levels."

But ASX silver stocks could keep shining bright in 2026.

"I believe that the underlying fundamentals of (silver) supply constraints remain factors in the market and we still have positive prospects going into 2026," Meger concluded.

The post Why are ASX silver stocks getting hammered today? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

Motley Fool contributor Bernd Struben has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia's parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

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