HSBC
HSBC Holdings PLC
stock NYSE ADR

⚠️ Alert: high hopium dose incoming:
By chance I stumbled across this 1 year old report by the monetary authority of Hong Kong: [Distributed Ledger Technology in the Financial Sector: A Study on the Opportunities and Challenges](https://www.hkma.gov.hk/media/eng/doc/key-functions/banking-stability/DLT_Research_Paper.pdf).
What is great in this report is that **the blockchains that the finance industry uses are cited** (unlike the press releases of these actors that always vaguely mention launching their product "on a blockchain").
Here is my count of the blockchains used by the banks and clearing agencies:
* Ethereum: Standard Chartered Bank, Deutsche Bank, JP Morgan, UBS (+ BNY known for developing on Canton)
* Canton: Hong Kong stock exchanges and its clearing agencies, DTCC (+ Euroclear, Nasdaq, JP Morgan, BNY, Goldman Sachs, HSBC not cited here but known for developing on/with Canton)
* Solana: 0
* Ripple: 0
* Avalanche: 0
* Hedera: 0
As the report focuses on the infrastructure, what you find in this list are banks and clearing agencies. Tokenized securities and stablecoins are another topic (retail applications, not infrastructure) so not listed.

HSBC suspended my account when I made a payment to the Federal Court of Australia for my divorce :/ I got stuck having to walk in too work.

I do HSBC world

Banks like HSBC, metal miners, uranium names gave very rich returns over the past year or so. I couldn't imagine believing the jobs numbers, reports about inflation being down, and a booming economy 😂.

Hallo, ich überlege, meinen Core-ETF zu wechseln. Bisher habe ich nur in HSBC MSCI World Dist investiert, aber mir ist klar geworden, dass dieser ETF, wenn ich einmal das Freistellung-Niveau erreiche, schlechter abschneiden wird als ein thesaurierender ETF, und ich möchte ihn austauschen, solange ich noch keine Gewinne damit erzielt habe. Ich habe mich über ähnliche ETFs informiert und einen interessanten ETF gefunden.
LGGG, also Global Equity ETF (erfolgt dem Solactive Index auf DM, also ähnlich wie MSCI World). Auf UK-Finanzen wird er empfohlen, aber ich habe ihn auf deutschen oder europäischen Subreddits nicht gesehen. Gibt es einen Haken? Ist der Grund, warum die Leute ihn nicht empfehlen, der weniger bekannte Anbieter oder Index (obwohl dies im Fall von WEBN Solactive kein Problem zu sein scheint)? Auf dem Papier sieht er gut aus, hat einen niedrigen TER (0,1 %) und hat in den letzten Jahren unter den ETFs auf DM sehr gut abgeschnitten, einer der besten. Was haltet ihr davon? Investiert ihr darin?
EDIT: ISIN IE00BFXR5S54, sparplanfähig bei ING.

HSBC weil beste Trackingdifferenz [https://www.trackingdifferences.com/ETF/ISIN/IE00B4X9L533](https://www.trackingdifferences.com/ETF/ISIN/IE00B4X9L533)

There is no way you can avoid TCS once you cross 10 lakhs in LRS remittance.. Right now, lot of banks do not have your consolidated LRS remittance information and hence only consider your transactions with that specific bank. Give it some time and they will get the consolidated info based on your PAN and will add appropriate TCS.. HSBC is already doing this..

# Silver Outlook v4: February 12 to May 31, 2026
**Author:** DeadlySecret **Date:** 2026-02-12 (updated at close) **Data through:** 2026-02-12 (Wednesday close) **Previous versions:** v1\_2026-02-09 | v2\_2026-02-10 | v3\_2026-02-11
# What Changed Since v1/v2/v3
|Metric|v1 (Feb 6)|v2 (Feb 9)|v3 (Feb 10-11)|v4 (Feb 11-12)|Change (v1->v4)|
|:-|:-|:-|:-|:-|:-|
|Silver price|$77.95|$83.31|$84.50|**$75.07** (Feb 12 close)|**-$2.88 (-3.7%)**|
|Gold price|$4,965|$5,058|$5,076|**$4,920**|\-$45 (-0.9%)|
|Gold/Silver ratio|63.7|60.7|60.1|**65.57**|**+1.87**|
|March OI (contracts)|76,091|73,142|68,366|**65,494**|**-10,597 (-13.9%)**|
|May OI|29,265|32,851|35,749|**38,368**|**+9,103 (+31.1%)**|
|Total OI (all months)|\~135,258|136,134|\~134,006|**\~134,056**|\-1,202 (-0.9%)|
|COMEX total inventory|394.5M oz|390.5M oz|386.3M oz|**379.2M oz**|**-15.3M (-3.9%)**|
|Registered|102.5M oz|102.3M oz|101.4M oz|**93.0M oz** (Feb 12 report)|**-9.5M (-9.3%)**|
|Eligible|292.0M oz|288.2M oz|284.9M oz|**286.2M oz** (Feb 12 report)|\-5.8M|
|Feb delivery MTD|4,061|4,490|4,592|**4,595** (complete)|\+534|
|Shanghai premium|est. \~$0|$8/oz|$8/oz|$8/oz|New data|
|Settlement (Feb)|$76.76|$82.23|$80.218|$80.218 (Feb 10)|\+$3.46|
|SLV|—|—|—|**$67.67 (-11.61%)**|New|
|SPX|—|—|—|**6,832.77 (-1.57%)**|New|
|Transcripts|64 / 37 speakers|104 / 54 speakers|113 / 63 speakers|**119+ / 69+ speakers**|\+55 files, +32 speakers|
# v1 -> v2 -> v3 -> v4 Prediction Scorecard
|v1 Prediction (Phase 1: Feb 9-14)|v2 Update|v3 Actual|v4 Actual (Feb 12 close)|Grade|
|:-|:-|:-|:-|:-|
|Price range: $70-90|Narrowed to $78-88|$80.61-$86.32|**$75.07 (BELOW range)**|**C**|
|March OI: \~65-70K by Feb 14|Revised to 68-73K|68,366 (Feb 10)|**65,494 (Feb 11 VoI, ahead of schedule)**|**A+**|
|Inventory drain: 4-8M oz/week|Revised to 6-10M/wk|4.2M in 1 day|**2.3M oz on Feb 12 (7.0M in 2 days)**|**A+**|
|"Further margin adjustments possible"|No changes yet|No changes yet|No changes yet|Pending|
|"Recovery toward upper end"|Confirmed ($83.31)|Confirmed ($86.32 intraday)|**FAILED — crashed to $75.07 (-10.97%)**|**F**|
**Overall Phase 1 grade: B-** \-- OI and inventory predictions continue to track well, but the price prediction failed badly. The Feb 12 selloff (-10.97%) was a broad risk-off event (SPX -1.57%, gold -3.23%, all PMs sold) that was NOT anticipated by the fundamental analysis. The physical thesis (drain, OI, registered below 100M) remains intact, but the market doesn't care about fundamentals during correlation-driven liquidation events.
# Executive Summary
**CLOSING UPDATE:** Silver crashed to **$75.07 on February 12 (-10.97%)** in a broad risk-off selloff (SPX -1.57%, gold -3.23%). SLV closed at $67.67 (-11.61%), only $2.16 above the Feb 5 crash low. The gold/silver ratio blew out to 65.57 (+8.74%). This was correlation-driven liquidation, not a change in physical fundamentals. COMEX inventory continued draining (-2.34M oz to 379.2M oz). CPI on Feb 13 is the next catalyst.
The key developments since v3:
1. **COMEX registered silver crashed to 93.03M oz** \-- down 5.11M oz in a single day (Feb 12 report) from reclassifications out of registered across 5 depositories. Registered has fallen 9.5M oz since v1 (Feb 6)
2. **Inventory drain continued at extreme pace** \-- 4.70M oz left COMEX on Feb 11 (vs 4.20M on Feb 10). The two-day average is \~4.45M oz/day, an annualized drain rate of 1,113M oz/yr against current holdings of 379.2M oz
3. **March OI dropped to 65,494** \-- the roll is proceeding steadily, with Feb 10's -4,762 (VoI) being the largest single-day exit since Feb 5. Feb 11 saw another -2,872 (VoI). March OI has now shed 32,455 contracts since Jan 27 and is still **3.5x registered inventory**
4. **May OI surged to 38,368** \-- absorbing 2,619 of March's Feb 11 decline (\~91% transfer rate). May has grown 53% since Jan 27
5. **February delivery is essentially complete** \-- 4,595 contracts (22.975M oz) with only 3 notices on Feb 11. Attention shifts entirely to March
6. **SLV divergence analysis reveals abnormal mechanics** \-- counter-cyclical AP flows, -19.4% NAV discount during crash, 907-basket creation event (32.9M oz in one day), and a persistent mean discount of -1.15% suggesting systematic underperformance vs physical silver
**Updated central thesis:** We are now 15 days from FND (Feb 27). March OI at 65,494 is still 3.5x registered (93.0M oz). At the current roll pace (\~3,000-5,000/day), March should reach \~25,000-40,000 by FND. Even at the low end, with historical standing rates elevated (13%+ based on 2025 precedent), that's 3,250-5,200 contracts standing (16-26M oz). Against 93.0M registered -- or potentially \~70-80M by FND given the drain -- this is tight. But the extreme scenario (>15,000 standing) is what would truly stress the system.
# Table of Contents
1. [Current State: Updated Numbers](#1-current-state-updated-numbers)
2. [Phase 1-2 Scorecard](#2-phase-1-2-scorecard)
3. [Delivery Activity: February Complete](#3-delivery-activity-february-complete)
4. [March OI Trajectory Update](#4-march-oi-trajectory-update)
5. [Inventory Update: Registered Below 100M oz](#5-inventory-update-registered-below-100m-oz)
6. [The May Handoff](#6-the-may-handoff)
7. [SLV vs XAG: The Paper-Physical Divergence](#7-slv-vs-xag-the-paper-physical-divergence)
8. [Updated Week-by-Week Outlook](#8-updated-week-by-week-outlook)
9. [Expert Consensus and Divergences](#9-expert-consensus-and-divergences)
10. [Updated Price Scenarios](#10-updated-price-scenarios)
11. [Updated Risk Matrix](#11-updated-risk-matrix)
12. [Key Dates Calendar](#12-key-dates-calendar)
13. [Conclusion](#13-conclusion)
# 1. Current State: Updated Numbers
# 1.1 Price Snapshot (Feb 12 close)
https://preview.redd.it/f7wwsa1n95jg1.png?width=2400&format=png&auto=webp&s=cc795e479b41710f1d555e710c292d356a661e66
|Metric|Value|Change vs v3|Change vs v1|
|:-|:-|:-|:-|
|**Silver (XAGUSD) Feb 12 close**|**$75.07**|**-$9.43**|**-$2.88**|
|Silver Feb 12 high|$84.03 (European session)|—|—|
|Silver Feb 12 low|\~$74.80|—|—|
|**Gold (XAUUSD) Feb 12 close**|**$4,920**|**-$156**|**-$45**|
|**Gold/Silver ratio**|**65.57**|**+5.47**|**+1.87**|
|**SLV close**|**$67.67 (-11.61%)**|—|—|
|**SPX close**|**6,832.77 (-1.57%)**|—|—|
|All-time high (Jan 29)|$121.67|\--|\--|
|Crash low (Feb 2 intraday)|$64.06|\--|\--|
|Recovery from crash low|**+17%** ($75.07)|\--|\--|
|Drawdown from ATH|**-38%** ($75.07)|\--|\--|
**Silver crashed 10.97% in a single session** — the largest decline since the Jan 30 flash crash. This was a broad risk-off event: all precious metals, equities, and risk assets sold together. The gold/silver ratio blew out to 65.57, indicating silver was disproportionately hit by leveraged long liquidation. SLV closed at $67.67, only $2.16 above the Feb 5 crash low of $65.51.
# 1.2 COMEX Inventory
|Category|v1 (Feb 5)|v2 (Feb 9)|v3 (Feb 10)|v4 (Feb 12)|Change (v1->v4)|
|:-|:-|:-|:-|:-|:-|
|Registered|102.55M oz|102.26M oz|101.39M oz|**93.03M oz**|**-9.52M (-9.3%)**|
|Eligible|291.96M oz|288.21M oz|284.88M oz|**286.20M oz**|**-5.76M**|
|**Total**|**394.51M oz**|**390.47M oz**|**386.27M oz**|**379.23M oz**|**-15.28M**|
**Feb 12 total inventory: 379.23M oz** — another 2.34M oz physically withdrawn despite the 11% price crash. The physical drain does not respond to paper price moves. Total drain since v1 (6 trading days): **15.28M oz (-3.9%)**.
**Registered crashed to 93.03M oz** — down 5.11M oz in a single day from reclassifications (dewarranting) across 5 depositories. There is now only 93M oz of delivery-ready silver in COMEX against 65,494 contracts (327.5M oz) of March OI — a ratio of **3.5x**.
https://preview.redd.it/l15h2ctv95jg1.png?width=2100&format=png&auto=webp&s=ccd2a6fa0e6a44e77dc283d1ada8d76fa6806cf8
Updated drain rate:
|Period|Total Drain|Daily Rate|Annualized|
|:-|:-|:-|:-|
|v1 (26-day, through Feb 6)|\--|785K oz/day|196M oz/yr|
|v2 (24-day, Jan 6-Feb 9)|\--|900K oz/day|225M oz/yr|
|v3 (Feb 9-10, 1 biz day)|4.20M|\~4.20M oz/day|1,050M oz/yr|
|**v4 (Feb 10-11, 1 biz day)**|**4.70M**|**\~4.70M oz/day**|**1,175M oz/yr**|
|**v3-v4 avg (Feb 9-11, 2 biz days)**|**8.90M**|**\~4.45M oz/day**|**1,113M oz/yr**|
The drain rate has been at \~4.5M oz/day for two consecutive days. Even if this pace moderates to \~2M oz/day (the Jan 6-Feb 11 average of 1.3M/day adjusted for recent acceleration), total inventory would drop to \~350-360M oz by FND, with registered potentially at **75-85M oz**.
# 1.3 Open Interest Profile (Feb 11 session -- from VoiDetailsForProduct.xls)
|Contract|OI (Feb 11)|M oz|Change vs v3 (Feb 10)|
|:-|:-|:-|:-|
|Feb 2026|170|0.9|\-102|
|**March 2026**|**65,494**|**327.5**|**-2,872**|
|Apr 2026|602|3.0|\+53|
|**May 2026**|**38,368**|**191.8**|**+2,619**|
|Jul 2026|17,342|86.7|\+53|
|Sep 2026|4,565|22.8|\+82|
|Dec 2026|6,539|32.7|\+122|
|**Total**|**\~134,056**|**\~670**|**+50**|
Note: All OI data from CME VoiDetailsForProduct.xls. March OI change of -2,872 reflects VoI Feb 10 (68,366) → VoI Feb 11 (65,494).
March shed 2,872 contracts on Feb 11 (VoI). May absorbed 2,619 -- a transfer rate of \~91%. Total OI was essentially flat (+50), meaning virtually no one is exiting silver entirely -- they're rolling forward.
# 1.4 CFTC Positioning (still Feb 3 data)
https://preview.redd.it/4aqcyc2y95jg1.png?width=2100&format=png&auto=webp&s=f41b26103c829843f28df988cbe47489615f1766
No new COT release. Next expected: Feb 14 release (for Feb 11 data).
|Metric|Value (Feb 3)|Trend|
|:-|:-|:-|
|Total OI|143,180|Down 13,457 from Jan 27|
|Commercial short|80,973|Down from 101K in Dec -- covering|
|Top 4 short %|35.6%|Spiking|
|Top 8 short %|48.6%|Spiking|
# 2. Phase 1-2 Scorecard
# Phase 1: Feb 9-14 -- Post-Crash Stabilization (IN PROGRESS, Day 4 of 6)
|Metric|v1 Forecast|v2 Forecast|v3 Actual|v4 Actual (Feb 12)|Grade|
|:-|:-|:-|:-|:-|:-|
|Price|$70-90|$78-88|$80.61-$86.32|$81.90-$83.75 (Feb 12 range)|**A**|
|March OI|65-70K by Feb 14|68-73K|68,366 (Feb 10)|**65,494 (Feb 11, already hit low end)**|**A+**|
|Inventory drain|4-8M/wk|6-10M/wk|4.2M in 1 day|**8.9M in 2 days**|**A+**|
|Volatility|High|Moderating|$5.71 range (Feb 11)|$1.85 range (Feb 12, narrowing)|**A**|
|Key catalysts|Employment, CPI|Employment (Feb 11), CPI (Feb 13)|NFP +130K, benchmark -898K|CPI pending (Feb 13)|**A+**|
**Phase 1 assessment:** Exceeding expectations. March OI already hit the lower bound of the v1 target range 3 days early. Inventory drain rate is above worst-case projections. Volatility is narrowing as the market consolidates, which is constructive for a base before the next move. CPI on Feb 13 is the last major Phase 1 catalyst.
# 3. Delivery Activity: February Complete
# 3.1 Updated February Delivery Notices (through Feb 11 -- essentially complete)
|Intent Date|Daily|Cumulative|Running % of \~4,870 est. starting OI|
|:-|:-|:-|:-|
|Jan 29|1,881|1,881|\~39%|
|Jan 30|633|2,514|\~52%|
|Feb 02|251|2,765|\~57%|
|Feb 03|190|2,955|\~61%|
|Feb 04|608|3,563|\~73%|
|Feb 05|181|3,744|\~77%|
|Feb 06|317|4,061|\~84%|
|Feb 09|429|4,490|\~93%|
|Feb 10|102|4,592|\~94%|
|**Feb 11**|**3**|**4,595**|**\~94.4%**|
**Total Feb delivery: 4,595 contracts = 22.975M oz**
Only 3 contracts on Feb 11 -- February is done. Remaining open Feb positions (170 contracts) are either EFP'd or abandoned. Attention shifts entirely to March.
https://preview.redd.it/xhzatepz95jg1.png?width=2100&format=png&auto=webp&s=4e48e047a0e8897285e9f43cba9efd40e62e1b36
# 3.2 Who Is Delivering? (YTD Report through Feb 11)
|Firm|Feb Issues|Feb Stops|Net|Significance|
|:-|:-|:-|:-|:-|
|**JP Morgan**|1,802|1,334|\+468 issued|Largest on both sides; net issuer in Feb|
|Wells Fargo|938|502|\+436 issued|Second largest net issuer|
|Deutsche Bank|526|369|\+157 issued||
|**Macquarie**|459|648|\-189 stopped|Net accumulator|
|Stonex|133|482|\-349 stopped|Consistent physical accumulator|
|HSBC|144|265|\-121 stopped||
|Scotia Capital|0|223|\-223 stopped|Taking delivery|
|Morgan Stanley|0|188|\-188 stopped|New significant stopper|
|Goldman Sachs|5|80|\-75 stopped|Still accumulating|
Notable: JP Morgan is the largest participant on both sides -- issuing 1,802 and stopping 1,334. This is consistent with their role as the dominant market-maker and SLV custodian. The net-stopper diversification (Macquarie, Stonex, Scotia, Morgan Stanley, Goldman) suggests broadening institutional demand for physical silver.
# 3.3 YTD Delivery Context
|Month|2024|2025|2026|
|:-|:-|:-|:-|
|January|6.8M oz|11.8M oz|**49.4M oz**|
|February (complete)|6.5M oz\*|23.9M\*|**22.975M oz**|
|**YTD**|**13.3M**|**35.7M**|**\~72.4M**|
2026 YTD deliveries are more than double the 2025 full Jan+Feb combined. February alone in a minor month delivered nearly as much as February 2025.
# 4. March OI Trajectory Update
# 4.1 Updated Daily Unwinding
https://preview.redd.it/1vzjr7z0a5jg1.png?width=2400&format=png&auto=webp&s=53525a07e482e6f3995479cd0ec5ef2066042c23
|Date|March OI|Daily Change|Days to FND|Source|
|:-|:-|:-|:-|:-|
|Jan 27|97,949|\-1,071|\-31|Databento|
|Feb 1|91,790|\-6,159|\-26|Databento|
|Feb 2|86,440|\-5,390|\-25|Databento|
|Feb 3|86,446|\+6|\-24|Databento|
|Feb 4|85,819|\-627|\-23|Databento|
|Feb 5|80,502|\-5,317|\-22|Databento|
|Feb 6|76,091|\-4,411|\-21|Databento|
|Feb 9|73,128|\-2,957|\-18|Databento|
|Feb 10|68,366|\-4,762|\-17|VoI|
|**Feb 11**|**65,494**|**-2,872**|**-16**|**VoI**|
The roll pace remains steady at \~2,500-5,000/day. Feb 10's -4,762 (VoI) was the largest single-day exit since Feb 5. Feb 11's -2,872 is moderate but consistent. At the current average pace of \~3,500/day (last 5 sessions), March OI would reach:
* **Feb 14 (3 trading days):** \~55,000
* **Feb 21 (8 trading days):** \~37,000
* **Feb 27 FND (12 trading days):** \~23,000
This tracks with historical patterns where the roll accelerates further in the final week.
# 4.2 Roll Analysis: March -> May Transfer
Since Jan 27, March has lost 32,455 contracts. Where did they go?
|Destination|Change (Jan 27 -> Feb 11)|% of March decline|
|:-|:-|:-|
|May 2026|\+13,367|41.2%|
|Jul 2026|\+78|0.2%|
|Sep 2026|\+83|0.3%|
|Dec 2026|\+241|0.7%|
|**Positions closed entirely**|**\~18,686**|**57.6%**|
**Updated roll assessment:** The May transfer rate has increased from 36.3% (v3) to 41.2% -- a clear trend of more holders choosing to stay in silver via May rather than exit. On Feb 11, the transfer rate was \~91% (2,619 to May vs 2,872 lost from March), suggesting the margin-hike liquidation wave has largely passed. The remaining March holders are increasingly committed.
# 4.3 Updated Standing Projections
https://preview.redd.it/2ochy9b2a5jg1.png?width=2100&format=png&auto=webp&s=ded019f99488f7af8490a1f75995c5b453dadfae
Starting from 65,494 contracts (Feb 11), projected to \~23,000-35,000 by FND:
|Scenario|Standing %|Contracts at FND (est. 30K base)|M oz|% of Registered (\~93M)|
|:-|:-|:-|:-|:-|
|Historical median (3.5%)|3.5%|\~1,050|5.3|**6%**|
|Historical norm (5%)|5%|\~1,500|7.5|**8%**|
|Elevated historical (7%)|7%|\~2,100|10.5|**11%**|
|2025-like (13%)|13%|\~3,900|19.5|**21%**|
|High stress (20%)|20%|\~6,000|30.0|**32%**|
|Extreme (30%)|30%|\~9,000|45.0|**48%**|
Note: These projections use an estimated 30,000 contracts at FND. If the roll is slower and 40,000+ remain, all percentages scale up proportionally.
# 4.4 Comparison to March 2025 at Same Stage
https://preview.redd.it/nvt4fgc5a5jg1.png?width=2400&format=png&auto=webp&s=70f25bcb938f98b344fc05c9a6d4c26329b681ad
|Metric|March 2025 (T-16)|March 2026 (T-16)|
|:-|:-|:-|
|OI at T-16|\~98,000|65,494|
|OI as % of peak|79%|55%|
|Registered at FND|\~158M oz|\~70-85M oz (est.)|
|Standing at FND (Mar 2025 actual)|15,691 (12.7%)|?|
March 2026 has 33% less OI than March 2025 at the same stage, but 38-51% less registered silver to deliver. The key ratio -- delivery demand to deliverable supply -- is tighter in 2026.
# 5. Inventory Update: Registered Below 100M oz
https://preview.redd.it/jlnt9l78a5jg1.png?width=2100&format=png&auto=webp&s=4950cc2fbefbe48bb8964be92da2de508966a4a6
# 5.1 Total COMEX Inventory Timeline
|Date|Total Inventory|Daily Change|
|:-|:-|:-|
|Jan 6|426.5M oz|\--|
|Jan 27|411.7M oz|\--|
|Feb 1|405.7M oz|\-1.5M/day avg|
|Feb 4|398.0M oz|\-2.6M/day|
|Feb 6|394.5M oz|\-1.75M/day|
|Feb 9|390.5M oz|\-2.0M/day avg|
|Feb 10|386.3M oz|\-4.20M (1 biz day)|
|Feb 11|381.6M oz|\-4.70M (1 biz day)|
|**Feb 12**|**379.2M oz**|**-2.34M (1 biz day)**|
**Total drain Jan 6 -> Feb 12: 47.3M oz in 27 business days = 1.75M oz/day average**
The pace is clearly accelerating:
* Jan 6-27: \~700K oz/day
* Jan 27-Feb 6: \~1.7M oz/day
* Feb 9-10: \~4.2M oz/day
* Feb 10-11: \~4.7M oz/day
* **Feb 11-12: \~2.3M oz/day** (moderated but still elevated)
# 5.2 Vault-Level Analysis (Feb 12 report, activity date Feb 11)
|Depository|Registered|Eligible|Total|Reg Chg|Total Chg|
|:-|:-|:-|:-|:-|:-|
|JP Morgan|12.04M|150.15M|162.19M|0.00M|**-1.13M**|
|Brink's|16.12M|40.64M|56.76M|**-1.44M**|0.00M|
|Loomis|7.37M|23.30M|30.67M|0.00M|\-0.05M|
|CNT|12.97M|15.31M|28.28M|**-2.37M**|0.00M|
|Asahi|23.95M|2.56M|26.51M|0.00M|**-0.43M**|
|HSBC|3.47M|21.15M|24.62M|0.00M|0.00M|
|MTB|6.50M|12.17M|18.67M|**-0.54M**|**-0.60M**|
|Delaware|1.55M|16.26M|17.81M|**-0.41M**|\-0.13M|
|Others|9.04M|4.67M|13.72M|\-0.35M|0.00M|
|**Total**|**93.03M**|**286.20M**|**379.23M**|**-5.11M**|**-2.34M**|
Key observations:
* **5 depositories reclassified registered to eligible (dewarranting):** CNT (-2.37M), Brink's (-1.44M), MTB (-0.54M), Delaware (-0.41M), IDS (-0.35M) = **-5.11M total**
* **CNT Depository had the largest registered drop: -2.37M oz** — 15% of its registered silver dewarranted in one day
* **Physical withdrawals of -2.34M oz** from JP Morgan (-1.13M), MTB (-0.60M), Asahi (-0.43M), Delaware (-0.13M), Loomis (-0.05M)
* **JP Morgan's eligible pool** dropped to 150.15M oz (52.4% of all eligible) — continues as dominant withdrawal source
* Zero metal was received into registered. Eligible actually increased net (+2.77M) due to registered reclassifications outweighing withdrawals
# 5.3 Updated Registered Projection
|Date|Optimistic (1.5M/day total)|Base (2.5M/day)|Accelerated (4M/day)|
|:-|:-|:-|:-|
|Feb 12 (actual)|\--|379.2M|\--|
|Feb 14 (end Phase 1)|376M|374M|371M|
|Feb 21 (end Phase 2)|369M|362M|351M|
|**Feb 27 (FND)**|**363M**|**352M**|**335M**|
Estimated registered at FND (assuming registered = \~24.5% of total, current ratio):
* Optimistic: \~89M oz
* Base: **\~86M oz**
* Accelerated: **\~82M oz**
All scenarios project registered **below 90M oz** by FND. With today's 93.0M as the starting point and active dewarranting, registered could fall even faster than total inventory.
# 6. The May Handoff
# 6.1 May OI Status
https://preview.redd.it/ady4v90aa5jg1.png?width=2100&format=png&auto=webp&s=52ef84806a615f09276b1a5655492bbaf1858774
May OI: **38,368 contracts (191.8M oz)** \-- up 2,634 from Feb 10, the highest yet.
|Date|May OI|Growth from Jan 27|
|:-|:-|:-|
|Jan 27|25,001|\--|
|Feb 3|25,641|\+640|
|Feb 6|29,265|\+4,264|
|Feb 9|32,851|\+7,850 (+31.4%)|
|Feb 10|35,749|\+10,748 (+43.0%)|
|**Feb 11**|**38,368**|**+13,367 (+53.5%)**|
The May roll-in has been remarkably consistent: \~2,500-2,900 contracts per day over the last 3 sessions. At this pace, May could reach **55,000-65,000** by FND. This would make May 2026 one of the most heavily positioned silver delivery months in recent history.
# 6.2 The Cascading Risk
https://preview.redd.it/jq8yl54ba5jg1.png?width=2100&format=png&auto=webp&s=6fe01764d77175a4ad6bf8df26f38e448b06282f
The cascading risk from v3 is updated with tighter numbers:
If March delivery takes 20-30M oz from registered (\~93M):
* Post-March registered: \~63-73M oz
* May at 55K contracts with 10% standing: 27.5M oz against 63-73M available
* That's 38-44% -- **tight**
If March delivery takes 50M+ oz:
* Post-March registered: \~43-53M oz
* May at 10% standing: 27.5M oz against 43-53M
* That's 52-64% -- **severe stress territory**
If March forces emergency measures (rule changes, cash settlement):
* May holders will be even more determined to stand for delivery to test the system
* This is the self-reinforcing feedback loop
# 7. SLV vs XAG: The Paper-Physical Divergence
# 7.1 Key Finding: SLV Market Price Tracks Spot Perfectly
|Metric|Value|
|:-|:-|
|SLV/XAG ratio mean|0.9061|
|SLV/XAG ratio range|0.9052-0.9066 (0.15% band)|
|Cumulative return spread (YTD)|\-0.02 pp|
SLV's **market price** is essentially a perfect proxy for spot silver, adjusted for its 0.9069 oz-per-share. No divergence in market price.
# 7.2 Where the Divergence Is: NAV and Fund Mechanics
https://preview.redd.it/ile2at0ea5jg1.png?width=2085&format=png&auto=webp&s=09d40676b91dcfcc721e38d8ba0b122d083c006b
|Metric|Value|
|:-|:-|
|Mean NAV premium/discount|**-1.15%** (persistent discount)|
|Max premium|\+4.39% (Feb 9)|
|**Max discount**|**-19.38% (Jan 30)**|
|2025 Market vs LBMA benchmark return gap|**-4.40 pp** (3x the 0.50% fee)|
The -19.4% NAV discount on Jan 30 (crash day) reveals the arbitrage mechanism **broke down** \-- Authorized Participants couldn't or wouldn't create baskets during the crisis.
# 7.3 Counter-Cyclical Flows: Silver Leaves During Rallies, Enters During Crashes
https://preview.redd.it/kl7uzf2fa5jg1.png?width=2085&format=png&auto=webp&s=97a1f5eef46ad8d24d4e0a0d76788edbc52153c1
|Period|Shares Change|Implied Oz Change|Direction|
|:-|:-|:-|:-|
|Jan 5-29 (rally)|\-32.5M (-5.6%)|\-29.5M oz|**OUT**|
|**Jan 30-Feb 2 (crash)**|**+36.3M (+6.6%)**|**+32.9M oz**|**IN**|
|Feb 3-11 (stabilization)|\-10.8M (-1.8%)|\-9.8M oz|OUT|
|**Net (Jan 2-Feb 11)**|**-6.9M (-1.2%)**|**-6.3M oz**|**OUT**|
This is the **opposite** of normal ETF behavior. APs are using SLV as a physical silver **buffer pool**:
* During rallies: redeem baskets, pull silver out to sell at high prices or deliver on COMEX
* During crashes: create baskets, park silver back to exploit NAV discounts
The 907-basket creation event on Feb 2 (\~32.9M oz in a single day) is extraordinary. For context, that's 33% of current COMEX registered inventory, deposited in one session. This silver almost certainly came from LBMA London vaults via book-entry transfers at JP Morgan (SLV's custodian).
# 7.4 Implications for the Thesis
1. SLV holders systematically underperform physical silver (-4.40 pp vs benchmark in 2025, more than 3x the stated fee)
2. The SLV-LBMA-COMEX triangle allows APs to arbitrage silver between venues -- SLV is a source/sink for the physical market
3. During extreme stress, the arbitrage mechanism can break (as it did with -19.4% discount), meaning SLV's "paper silver" promise temporarily fails
4. Net-net, SLV has lost 6.3M oz YTD despite the massive crash-day deposit, consistent with the broader physical drain thesis
5. **SLV redemptions during rallies may have been supplying silver to meet COMEX delivery demand** \-- creating a hidden pipeline between ETF investors' holdings and futures market deliveries
# 8. Updated Week-by-Week Outlook
https://preview.redd.it/8ac2hq4ga5jg1.png?width=2700&format=png&auto=webp&s=b97b45b8b134b9dec1daa8b7ad33d4791a3faced
# Phase 1: Feb 9-14 -- Post-Crash Stabilization (IN PROGRESS)
**Status:** Day 4 of 6. March OI ahead of schedule.
|Metric|v3 Forecast|v4 Actual (Feb 12)|Updated (Feb 12-14)|
|:-|:-|:-|:-|
|Price|$82-90|$81.90-$83.75|**$80-88**|
|March OI|63-68K|65,494 (Feb 11)|**58-63K by Feb 14**|
|Inventory drain|10-15M oz|8.9M in 2 days|**12-18M oz** (Phase 1 total)|
**Key catalysts remaining:**
* **Feb 13: January CPI Data** \-- inflation/rate cut signal. Wages at +3.7% y/y from NFP report keeps some inflation risk. A hot CPI could temporarily dampen rate-cut expectations and pressure silver. A cool CPI would be bullish
* **Feb 14: COT release** (for Feb 11 data) -- first updated positioning since Feb 3. Should show further commercial short covering and potentially even higher concentration ratios
# Phase 2: Feb 14-21 -- Acceleration Phase
**Updated expectations:**
* The weak NFP + massive benchmark revision (-898K) from Feb 11 tilts the Fed toward earlier rate cuts
* Post-CPI, the macro picture will be clearer -- this determines whether Phase 2 is range-bound or breakout
* March OI drops to \~37,000-45,000
* May OI rises past 48,000-55,000
* Physical dealer shortages persist
* COT release on Feb 14 may show extreme positioning, attracting media attention
**Price range:** $80-95 **March OI target:** \~37,000-45,000 by Feb 21
# Phase 3: Feb 21-27 -- Final Roll Week (CRITICAL)
**Updated expectations:**
* If March OI > 20,000 on Feb 25, stress signal (unchanged)
* The improving roll-to-May rate (now 41.2%) suggests committed holders
* Registered at \~75-89M oz by this point
* Pre-FND positioning likely to generate sharp price moves
**Price range:** $82-112 **March OI target:** 3,000-12,000 by Feb 27
# Phase 4: Feb 27 - Mar 5 -- FND Week
**Updated scenario matrix:**
|Standing|M oz|Market Reaction|v4 Probability|
|:-|:-|:-|:-|
|<5,000 contracts|<25M|Relief. Orderly month.|22% (was 25%)|
|5,000-10,000|25-50M|Elevated but manageable. Premiums rise.|**35%**|
|10,000-15,000|50-75M|Stress. Registered barely covers.|**23%** (was 22%)|
|15,000-20,000|75-100M|Severe stress. EFP premiums spike.|**13%** (was 12%)|
|\>20,000|\>100M|Crisis. Cash settlement risk.|**7%** (was 6%)|
Net shift: -3% from relief, +3% toward elevated/stress scenarios. Registered breaking below 100M and the two-day extreme drain rate both support higher standing probability.
**Price range:** $80-122
# Phase 5: Mar 5-27 -- Delivery Month
**Price range:** $85-$128 (raised floor) **Key indicator:** Daily registered changes. Below 50M oz = crisis mode.
# Phase 6: Mar 27 - Apr 15 -- Post-March Assessment
**Price range:** $90-$120
# Phase 7: Apr 15-29 -- May Pre-Roll Buildup
**Price range:** $95-$135
# Phase 8: Apr 30 - May 31 -- May Delivery Month
**End-May price scenarios:**
|Scenario|Price Range|v4 Probability|
|:-|:-|:-|
|Bear (deleveraging, rule changes)|$50-78|**9%** (was 10%)|
|Base (orderly but tight)|$88-108|**38%** (was 40%)|
|Bull (delivery stress persists)|$108-145|**37%** (was 35%)|
|Extreme (delivery failure)|$145-200+|**16%** (was 15%)|
# 9. Expert Consensus and Divergences
*Based on 119+ transcripts across 69+ speakers. 6 new transcripts processed Feb 12*
The most balanced view from v3 remains relevant: the same data can support both a genuine shortage story AND a leverage/negotiation play. The new China angle adds complexity -- China was behind both the short attack AND the physical buying. This suggests China may be using silver markets as a tool for broader geopolitical positioning rather than pure investment.
# 10. Updated Price Scenarios
# 10.1 Scenario Table (Updated with Feb 11-12 data)
|Date|Bear|Base|Bull|Extreme|
|:-|:-|:-|:-|:-|
|Current (Feb 12)|$83.15|$83.15|$83.15|$83.15|
|**Feb 14**|$72-78|$80-86|$86-93|$93+|
|**Feb 27 (FND)**|$65-72|$80-92|$94-120|$120+|
|**Mar 31**|$56-72|$90-108|$118-145|$145+|
|**Apr 30**|$50-66|$94-110|$122-155|$155+|
|**May 31**|$46-60|$98-114|$130-172|$172+|
# 10.2 Updated Probability Weights
|Scenario|v1|v2|v3|v4|Rationale|
|:-|:-|:-|:-|:-|:-|
|Bear (deleveraging)|15%|12%|10%|**9%**|Roll transfer to May improving; margin liquidation mostly done|
|Base (orderly but tight)|45%|43%|40%|**38%**|Registered below 100M adds uncertainty to "orderly"|
|Bull (delivery stress)|30%|33%|35%|**37%**|Drain rate confirms physical demand; May OI building fast|
|Extreme (delivery failure)|10%|12%|15%|**16%**|Two consecutive 4.5M+ oz drain days; China angle; SLV mechanics|
# Net shift: +2% toward bull/extreme outcomes, -2% from bear/base.
# 11. Updated Risk Matrix
# 11.1 Upside Risks (silver goes higher than expected)
|Risk|Probability|Impact|Trigger|
|:-|:-|:-|:-|
|March standing exceeds 20K contracts|18%|\+$20-40|Physical demand persistence|
|COMEX registered drops below 50M oz|28%|\+$15-30|Accelerated drain|
|SLV creation/redemption disruption|15%|\+$15-30|Following China trust pattern|
|Japan debt crisis -> metals surge|25%|\+$20-40|Yield spike, yen divergence|
|Bitcoin continues crashing -> metals|40%|\+$5-10|Crypto risk-off|
|Gold pushes above $5,500|30%|\+$10-20|Dollar weakness / rate cuts|
|**China actively bids for physical**|**20%**|**+$20-50**|**Shanghai premium widens**|
|Cool CPI (Feb 13) -> rate cut rally|35%|\+$5-15|Below-consensus CPI|
# 11.2 Downside Risks (silver goes lower than expected)
|Risk|Probability|Impact|Trigger|
|:-|:-|:-|:-|
|Additional CME margin hikes|25%|\-$10-20|Continued volatility|
|**Hot CPI (Feb 13) -> dollar surge**|**30%**|**-$8-15**|**Above-consensus CPI**|
|COMEX introduces cash-settlement silver|15%|\-$15-25|Rule change|
|Repeat coordinated short attack|8%|\-$10-20|Temporary (actors banned, but others could emerge)|
|Broad market deleveraging|20%|\-$20-30|Equity crash|
|Geopolitical resolution|25%|\-$5-15|De-escalation|
|Eligible-to-registered conversion wave|15%|\-$5-10|Premiums induce vault owners to register metal|
# 11.3 Systemic Risks (tail events)
|Risk|Probability|Impact|Mechanism|
|:-|:-|:-|:-|
|COMEX force majeure on silver|5%|Extreme|Delivery exceeds registered + willing eligible|
|Paper-physical price split|12%|Severe|Two-tier market with dealer premium >50%|
|LBMA silver market freeze|5%|Extreme|London runs out of available silver for lease|
|Flash crash below $50|8%|Severe|Algorithmic cascade in thin liquidity|
|Flash spike above $200|5%|Extreme|Short squeeze + delivery failure|
# 12. Key Dates Calendar (Updated)
|Date|Event|Significance|Days Away|
|:-|:-|:-|:-|
|**Feb 12 (TODAY)**|**v4 Report**|**Data consolidation**|**0**|
|**Feb 13**|**January CPI Data**|**Inflation/rate cut signal -- MOST IMPORTANT THIS WEEK**|**1**|
|Feb 14|COT release (for Feb 11 data)|Updated positioning|2|
|Feb 25|March Last Trade Day (SIH26)|Last day to trade March contract|13|
|Feb 26|March First Position Day|Position accountability begins|14|
|**Feb 27**|**March First Notice Day**|**Standing determined -- MOST CRITICAL**|**15**|
|Mar 2|March First Delivery Day|Physical delivery begins|18|
|Mar 27|March Settlement Day|March contract settles|43|
|Mar 31|March Last Delivery Day|Final physical delivery|47|
|**Apr 30**|**May First Notice Day (SIK26)**|**May standing determined**|**77**|
# 13. Conclusion
The data since v3 continues the trend of incrementally bullish developments:
1. **Registered silver crashed to 93.03M oz** \-- down 5.11M in a single day from dewarranting across 5 vaults. There is now less delivery-ready silver than at any point in this cycle
2. **Two consecutive extreme drain days** (4.2M + 4.7M = 8.9M oz in 2 business days) confirm this is not a one-off event but an accelerating trend
3. **March OI declined to 65,494** \-- the roll is proceeding on schedule, with the largest single-day drops in recent sessions. March OI hit our Phase 1 lower target 3 days early
4. **May OI surged to 38,368** \-- absorbing 41.2% of March's decline (up from 36.3%), with total OI flat. No one is leaving silver
5. **February delivery is essentially complete** at 4,595 contracts -- the market's attention now shifts entirely to March
6. **SLV analysis reveals abnormal fund mechanics** \-- counter-cyclical AP flows, a -19.4% NAV discount during the crash, and net loss of 6.3M oz YTD despite a massive single-day deposit. The paper-physical plumbing is under stress
7. **6 new expert voices** reinforce the supply-stress thesis, with China's growing role in silver pricing adding a new geopolitical dimension
**v4 probability-weighted expected price by May 31:**
* Bear: $53 x 9% = $4.77
* Base: $106 x 38% = $40.28
* Bull: $151 x 37% = $55.87
* Extreme: $186 x 16% = $29.76
* **Weighted average: \~$131/oz** (up from v3's \~$127, v2's \~$115, v1's \~$103)
The **central risk** is unchanged: what happens on Feb 27. With 65,494 contracts still open and 15 days to go, the standing number will determine everything. The base case sees 5,000-10,000 contracts standing (25-50M oz) against \~70-85M oz registered -- tight but potentially manageable with EFPs and eligible conversions. The tail risks have increased again.
**Key monitoring points for the next 24-48 hours:**
* **Feb 13 CPI** \-- the last major data point before the roll enters its final phase. Hot CPI = temporary headwind. Cool CPI = tailwind. Either way, the physical setup is unchanged
* Daily March OI decline rate and May OI growth
* Inventory: does the 4.5M+ oz/day pace continue?
* Physical dealer availability worldwide
* Feb 14 COT release -- will likely show extreme concentration ratios
15 days to First Notice Day. The clock is ticking.
*This report represents analysis based on data available through February 11-12, 2026, including web research and 119+ expert transcripts. All forward-looking projections are scenario-based and conditional. This is not financial advice.*

Hebel gibt es bei normalen Aktien nicht. Aktien sind Anteile eines Unternehmens die an der Börse gehandelt werden.
Hebel findet man bei sogenannten Derivaten. Das sind Finanzprodukte, die von Großbanken wie Goldman, HSBC , der deutschen Bank und vielen weiteren emittiert werden.
Unter diesen gehebelten Produkten gibt es auch wieder ganz unterschiedliche aber das bekannteste ist wohl das KO Zertifikat. KO, so wie beim Boxen 🥊.
Der Hebel gibt dabei quasi den Faktor an, mit dem sich das Zertifikat im Vergleich zu Dessen Basiswert verhält.
Einfaches Beispiel. Ein KO Zertifikat auf Daimler mit einem Hebel von 5.
Steigt die Daimler Aktie z.B. um 3%, dann steigt der Wert des Zertifikats um 15%.
Das Problem ist allerdings, das solche KO Zertifikate eine sogenannte KO-Schwelle haben. Fällt z..B die Daimler Aktie auf oder unter einen bestimmten Kurs (wenn auch nur kurz), dann geht das KO Zertifikat KO, das heißt das eingesetzte Geld ist weg, das Zertifikat verfällt wertlos. Da gibt es kein zurück mehr, auch wenn die Daimler Aktie danach wieder ansteigt.
Wie andere schon gesagt haben , sind das eher riskante Zockereien da sollte man lieber kein oder nur ganz wenig Geld reinstecken. Finde ich gut, dass du Interesse an solchen finanzieller Themen und finanzieller Bildung hast.

There are plenty of dividend stocks that also grow. For example HSBC bank. It’s gone up 48% in the last 12 months and also has a dividend of nearly 4%.
If a stock price is completely flat and doesn’t change which is the case with a lot of REITs, they normally pay a higher dividend of about 7%.
Personally I’d rather have a lower dividend and growth.
You don’t have that many no growth stocks that also have low dividends.

Do you have any insight into why people are looking for HSBC business accounts in Germany specifically?