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Matt DiLallo has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
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Silver stocks are publicly traded companies that focus on producing silver, a metal with a rare mix of industrial and investment appeal. Silver is essential to modern technology, thanks to its unmatched electrical and thermal conductivity, which is why more than half of global demand comes from industrial uses.
At the same time, silver attracts investors for many of the same reasons as gold. Many view it as a safe-haven asset that can help hedge against inflation, cushion portfolios during economic downturns, and add diversification. Here’s how to invest in silver without buying the physical metal itself.
First Majestic's focus on producing silver positions it to outperform silver prices. It can increase production while reducing costs, thereby growing profits faster than silver prices. For example, it reported record revenues in the first quarter of 2026 ($477 million, up 95%) on a 26% increse in its silver production. Meanwhile, First Majestic generated record cash flow from operations of $311 million, up 182%, outperforming the 161% surge in silver prices.
The silver miner is returning more money to shareholders through an updated dividend policy. It now targets paying out about 2% of its quarterly net revenue. As a result, it increased its dividend by 280% in the first quarter of 2026.
First Majestic believes it can be a long-term outperformer. It has a strong financial position, allowing it to invest millions of dollars each year in finding and developing new silver mines. It has also spent heavily to acquire other silver mines, including buying Gatos Silver for $970 million in early 2025.
In exchange, the company receives the right to buy some of the metal produced by the mines at fixed prices. Its vision is to be the world's premier precious metals investment vehicle. The company's portfolio features 22 operating mines and another 28 development projects.
It expects to get about 46% of its revenue from silver, another 52% from gold, and the remaining from palladium, platinum, and cobalt through 2030. The company anticipates its production will rise from 860,000-940,000 gold equivalent ounces (GEOs) in 2026 to an average of 1.2 million GEOs by 2030 as more of its partners' development projects come online and start producing.
Because the ETF holds physical silver, it tracks the price of the precious metal relatively closely. The chart below shows how the price of iShares Silver Trust shares has moved with silver's price.
The ETF has largely tracked silver's price over the long term. Investors get this solid performance at a reasonable cost, as the fund's annual expense ratio is 0.5%, a good ETF expense ratio overall. It's a small price to pay to invest in silver without owning the precious metal or facing the operational risks of silver mining stocks.
Some of the benefits of investing in silver stocks are:
However, investing in silver isn't without risks, which include:
Demand for silver is rising from investors, consumers, and industrial sources. For investors seeking greater diversification, growth potential, and inflation protection, silver mining stocks or silver-focused ETFs could be a great addition to a portfolio.
Precious metals miners, on the other hand, usually prioritize gold. As a result, even companies that focus on mining silver often get less than half of their revenue from it. That narrows the field for investors, but a handful of silver stocks still stand out:
Many metals companies produce silver, but it’s rarely their main focus. Most miners focus on industrial metals like iron ore, copper, and aluminum, with silver often a byproduct of those mines.


First Majestic (AG +0.77%) is one of the purest plays on silver in the mining sector. The company generated a peer-leading 66% of its revenue from silver in 2026. Although it's a Canadian company, First Majestic focuses on Mexico because it produces more silver than any other country. The company's operations span three world-class mining districts in Mexico.
Pan American Silver (PAAS -0.81%) bills itself as the world's premier silver mining company. It has grown into one of the largest silver-focused companies by market cap through a series of acquisitions. In 2025, the company closed its latest deal, buying MAG Silver for $2.1 billion. The purchase gave it a stake in the large-scale, high-grade Juanipio Silver Mine.
That deal added to its already robust silver portfolio. Pan America has 10 producing silver and gold mines across North and South America. It also has several silver growth catalysts, including potential projects at its La Colorada Skarn, Escobal, and Navidad mines. These mines give it substantial silver and gold reserves (452 million and 6.3 million ounces, respectively).
Pan American Silver stands out for its rock-solid balance sheet, including $1.6 billion of cash and short-term investments as of the end of the first quarter. In addition, its business generates free cash flow, enabling it to fund expansions while returning cash to investors via share repurchases and dividends (it hiked its payout 29% in early 2026). Pan American aims to return 35% to 40% of its annual cash flow to investors, targeting up to $1 billion in 2026. The combination of financial strength and silver-driven upside makes Pan American Silver a potentially compelling investment.
Wheaton Precious Metals (WPM +1.10%) is a precious metals streaming company. Instead of operating physical mines, Wheaton provides mining companies (including Pan American Silver and First Majestic) with cash to cover portions of their mine development costs.
Wheaton has low fixed costs of $12.50 per ounce of silver and $650 per ounce of gold through 2030. Any price above that level generates profit for the company.
The company's focus on streaming enables it to generate significant cash. Wheaton uses the money to invest in new streams and pay dividends to shareholders. In early 2026, it paid $4.3 billion to BHP Group (BHP +2.12%) for its 33.75% share of the silver produced at the Antamina mine in Peru, at a cost equal to 20% of the spot price of silver. The company also has a progressive dividend policy, paying out an industry-leading 25% of its cash flow in dividends.
Wheaton's business model enables it to profit from rising silver prices like a mining company. However, it entails fewer risks and potential cost overruns than physical mining, making it a lower-risk way to invest in precious metals like silver.
The iShares Silver Trust (SLV +0.47%) is an exchange-traded fund (ETF) that focuses on physical silver. The silver ETF aims to track silver's price by owning silver bars stored in bank vaults in London and New York City. It had almost $36.7 billion in assets under management (holding approximately 485 million ounces of silver) as of June 2026.

| Name and ticker | Market cap | Dividend yield | Industry |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Majestic Silver (NYSE:AG) | $10.3 billion | 0.17% | Metals and Mining |
| Pan American Silver (NYSE:PAAS) | $23.4 billion | 1.12% | Metals and Mining |
| Wheaton Precious Metals (NYSE:WPM) | $58.5 billion | 0.56% | Metals and Mining |
| iShares Silver Trust (NYSEMKT:SLV) | $0.0 thousand | 0.00% | Capital Markets |