Silver Price Rout Sinks Vedanta, Hindustan Zinc Shares 7%

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AuthorAarav Shah|Published at:
Silver Price Rout Sinks Vedanta, Hindustan Zinc Shares 7%
Overview

Vedanta and Hindustan Zinc saw their stock prices tumble by up to 7% in Thursday's intraday trade. The sharp decline followed a dramatic over 15% fall in silver prices. This selling pressure has erased significant gains, with both stocks down over 16% in the past week, though they posted substantial gains over the last six months.

Shares of Vedanta Ltd. and its subsidiary Hindustan Zinc Ltd. experienced a sharp sell-off, declining by as much as 7% during Thursday's intraday trading session. The market's negative reaction was directly triggered by a precipitous drop in silver prices, which plummeted over 15%.

Silver Price Volatility Drives Metal Stocks Down

The dramatic fall in silver prices, which briefly touched over $90 an ounce before Thursday's steep decline, has cast a shadow over the precious metals sector. This correction follows a speculative rally last month, fueled by geopolitical tensions and monetary policy concerns. Silver had previously surged to an all-time high exceeding $93 per troy ounce in January 2026, buoyed by supply constraints and strong industrial and investment demand. However, the market has seen a swift reversal, with silver experiencing its largest single-day drop and gold suffering its biggest fall since 2013.

Vedanta and Hindustan Zinc's Recent Performance

Despite the current pressure, both companies have demonstrated significant shareholder value creation in the medium term. Hindustan Zinc's market price has soared 141% over the past six months, while Vedanta's shares appreciated by 48% during the same period, significantly outperforming the BSE Sensex's modest 3.4% gain. This strong run-up had led to profit-booking activity in the past week, resulting in a 16-17% correction prior to Thursday's sharp slide.

Hindustan Zinc, a leading global zinc producer and a top silver producer, reported healthy operating profitability in the first nine months of fiscal year 2025-26. This was supported by elevated zinc and silver prices, averaging $2,996 per tonne for zinc on the London Metal Exchange (LME) between July and December 2025. A reduction in the cost of production to $980 per tonne and steady refined metal production further bolstered its financial performance.

Analyst Views and Future Outlook

Brokerage firms remain cautiously optimistic on Hindustan Zinc, citing its position at the lower end of the global cost curve, high-grade captive mines, and diversified revenue streams, including increasing contributions from silver sales. Analysts at JM Financial Institutional Securities highlighted the company's competitive advantages. Motilal Oswal Financial Services adjusted its earnings estimates for Vedanta upwards following strong Q3FY26 results and reiterated a Neutral rating, anticipating higher cash flows to support deleveraging and expansion plans.

However, the inherent cyclicality of metal prices and the galvanised steel industry, which consumes a significant portion of India's zinc production, pose ongoing business risks. Hindustan Zinc's operational performance remains closely tied to these volatile market dynamics. ICRA forecasts healthy demand growth for non-ferrous metals like zinc and lead at 7-10% in FY2026, which is expected to support volume growth and realisations.

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