Silver Steadies After Sharpest Drop in Five Years; Gold Holds Ground Amid Profit-Taking

• Silver steadied above $71 an ounce after its largest one-day drop in over five years, a 9% decline.
• The sharp fall was attributed to traders booking profits following a powerful year-end rally and technical indicators suggesting rapid advances.
• Gold was little changed at around $4,340 after losing 4.4%, while Platinum and Palladium also slipped.
• Despite the recent pullback, both gold and silver are poised for their best annual performance since 1979.
• Precious metals have been supported by high central-bank purchases, ETF inflows, and three US Federal Reserve rate cuts.

Why It Matters: Silver stabilizes after a significant drop, but precious metals remain on track for a strong year.