ORIGINAL PAPER
The 2021 Silver Squeeze – analysis of the short squeeze on the commodity market
 
 
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University of Warsaw, Faculty of Management, Warszawa, Poland
 
 
Submission date: 2024-12-17
 
 
Final revision date: 2025-03-27
 
 
Acceptance date: 2025-08-29
 
 
Publication date: 2025-12-16
 
 
Corresponding author
Tomasz Wyluda   

University of Warsaw, Faculty of Management, Warszawa, Poland
 
 
Gospodarka Surowcami Mineralnymi – Mineral Resources Management 2025;41(4):219-241
 
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ABSTRACT
On February 1, 2021, silver prices increased by 10%; retailers did not have physical silver for sale, and the media pointed to massive demand for silver. This event was caused by an unusual activity by retail investors that aimed to corner the silver market. The 2021 Silver Squeeze represents an interesting case study for analyzing retail investors’ actions on commodity markets. However, it is poorly analyzed in the literature because another squeeze on GME stocks overshadowed it. This paper aims to fill the research gap. We examine the event’s phases, drivers, and outcomes using a mixed-method approach, including quantitative price and market data analysis, qualitative Reddit content evaluation, and conceptual modeling. We examine the day-by-day events leading to the anomaly in this commodity. This allowed us to understand the motivations of the retail investors. We found key motivations that ignited a decentralized campaign to short-squeeze the silver market, such as Quantitative Easing, GME success, Hunt Brothers history, the rise of social media platforms, low-commission retail brokers, silver bugs, and stimulus checks. This study also presents a model – the conceptual model of action – which helps explain the Silver Squeeze. This model allows for an understanding of retail-driven buying, supply-demand mismatches, and pressures for physical delivery. Finally, we compare the Silver Squeeze of 2021 on commodity markets with traditional squeezes. The comparison showed remarkable differences from the traditional squeeze. The findings also have broader implications for regulators, emphasizing the need to balance market stability with the accessibility of retail-driven financial innovation.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
The Author has no conflicts of interest to declare.
METADATA IN OTHER LANGUAGES:
Polish
Silver Squeeze 2021 – analiza wyciskania krótkich pozycji na rynku towarowym
srebro, rynek srebra, surowce, Silver Squeeze
1 lutego 2021 roku ceny srebra wzrosły o 10%, detaliczni sprzedawcy nie mieli fizycznego srebra na sprzedaż, a media wskazywały na ogromny popyt na ten surowiec. Wydarzenie to było spowodowane nietypową aktywnością inwestorów detalicznych, którzy dążyli do zdominowania rynku srebra. Silver Squeeze z 2021 roku stanowi interesujące studium przypadku do analizy działań inwestorów detalicznych na rynkach surowcowych. Jednakże w literaturze temat ten jest słabo analizowany, ponieważ przyćmił go inny squeeze na akcjach GME. Niniejszy artykuł ma na celu wypełnienie tej luki badawczej. Analizowane są etapy, przyczyny i skutki tego wydarzenia przy zastosowaniu podejścia mieszanego – w tym ilościowej analizy cen i danych rynkowych, jakościowej oceny treści z Reddita oraz modelowania koncepcyjnego. Przeanalizowano dzień po dniu wydarzenia prowadzące do tej anomalii na rynku omawianego surowca. Pozwoliło to zrozumieć motywacje inwestorów detalicznych. Zidentyfikowano kluczowe czynniki, które zapoczątkowały short squeeze na rynku srebra, takie jak luzowanie ilościowe, sukces GME, historia braci Hunt, rozwój platform mediów społecznościowych, detaliczni brokerzy o niskich prowizjach, entuzjaści srebra oraz czeki stymulacyjne. Niniejsze badanie pozwoliło na skonstruowanie modelu działania Silver Squeeze. Model ten pozwala zrozumieć zakupy napędzane przez inwestorów detalicznych, niedopasowanie podaży i popytu oraz presję na fizyczną dostawę. Na koniec porównano Silver Squeeze z 2021 na rynkach z tradycyjnymi squeeze’ami. Porównanie wykazało znaczące różnice w stosunku do tradycyjnego squeeze’u. Wyniki mają także szersze implikacje dla regulatorów, podkreślając potrzebę równoważenia stabilności rynku z dostępnością innowacji finansowych napędzanych przez inwestorów detalicznych.
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