Smash Scrap Morning Metals Report – April 30, 2026

Prices as of April 30, 2026 at 12:31 PM UTC.

Market screen levels only — not yard pay prices. Actual buy prices at the scale will differ based on grade, moisture, contamination, and freight. The scrolling ticker at the top of this page shows live prices and may differ from the snapshot below.

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• Gold — $4,629/oz ▲
• Silver — $73.75/oz ▲
• PGMs — Rh ▸ $10,000 · Pt ▲ $1,952 · Pd ▲ $1,472
• Copper — $5.95/lb ▲
• Aluminum — $1.58/lb ▼
• Steel Scrap — $413.00/mt ▸
• Macro Backdrop
• CAD — USD/CAD 1.3682

Smash Scrap Takeaways for Today

• Gold & Silver — Sell your scrap gold and silver today to lock in gains from +1.79% and +3.00% jumps.
• PGMs — Cash in platinum and palladium scrap now after +4.11% and +2.08% rises; hold rhodium as prices stay flat.
• Copper — Deliver sorted copper scrap right away to capture the +1.22% price boost at $5.95/lb.
• Aluminum — Hold off selling aluminum scrap with the small -0.13% dip; sort and store clean loads for better timing.
• Big Picture — Sell high-value scrap now as 5 of 8 metals rose today.

Macro Backdrop — Energy and Risk

Brent Crude Oil: $102.05/bbl, down $10.10 (-9.01%) day-over-day.

**Macro Backdrop — Energy and Risk**

Brent crude oil fell sharply to $102.05 per barrel, down $10.10 or 9%. This drop adds to yesterday's 8.9% slide, as OPEC faces supply worries from the UAE exit and weak global demand. Lower energy costs ease shipping and production for scrap recyclers, but signal softer industrial demand ahead.

The 10-year Treasury yield rose to 4.36%, with inflation expectations up to 2.46%. Gold demand hit records in Q1, yet prices may pull back amid higher yields. Watch USD/CAD at 1.3682 for cross-border scrap flows—risks tilt down for metals values.

Gold — Safe-Haven Indicator

• Spot Gold (XAU): $4,629/oz, up +$81.19 (+1.79%) day-over-day. Previous close: $4,548/oz.
• 5-day trend: ↓ 3 of last 5 sessions.

Gold hit $4,629 per ounce today, up $81 or 1.79% from yesterday. This gain bucks the 5-day trend of dropping in 3 of the last 5 sessions, as Brent crude oil falls sharply to $102.05 per barrel amid OPEC supply worries. Scrap sellers and recyclers should lock in sales now before any pullback hits payouts.

Silver — Industrial & Precious Hybrid

• Spot Silver (XAG): $73.75/oz, up +$2.15 (+3.00%) day-over-day. Previous close: $71.60/oz.
• 5-day trend: ↑ 3 of last 5 sessions.
• Gold/Silver ratio: 62.8:1.

Silver spot price rose to **$73.75/oz**, up **$2.15** or **3%** today, with gains in 3 of the last 5 sessions despite falling oil at **$102.05/bbl**. Scrap sellers face refining backlogs and high financing costs that slow payouts and cut buying rates from yards, even as strong industrial demand from solar and EVs pushes values higher.[4][5][1] Hold scrap for now if possible, as refiners work through shortages.

Precious Metals (PGM) — Screen Indicators

• Platinum (Pt): $1,952/oz, up +$77.00 (+4.11%) day-over-day. Previous close: $1,875/oz. MoM: -0.3%.
• Platinum 5-day trend: ↓ 3 of last 5 sessions.
• Palladium (Pd): $1,472/oz, up +$30.00 (+2.08%) day-over-day. Previous close: $1,442/oz. MoM: +0.1%.
• Palladium 5-day trend: ↓ 3 of last 5 sessions.
• Rhodium (Rh): $10,000/oz, flat day-over-day. Previous close: $10,000/oz. MoM: -3.9%.
• Rhodium 5-day trend: ↓ 2 of last 5 sessions.

**PGM prices are rising today, which is good news for scrap sellers.**[3] Platinum jumped 4.11% to $1,952/oz and palladium climbed 2.08% to $1,472/oz, while rhodium held steady at $10,000/oz.[3] These price gains reverse a weak recent pattern and should improve payouts for catalytic converters, though don't expect 2021 peak prices to return—the market has normalized to more sustainable levels.[1][3]

Copper — Current Indicators

• COMEX/Spot Copper: $5.95/lb, up +$0.0715 (+1.22%) day-over-day. Previous close: $5.88/lb.
• 5-day trend: ↓ 4 of last 5 sessions.

**Copper** prices hit **$5.95 per pound**, up 7 cents or **1.2%** today. This gain bucks the **5-day trend** of drops in 4 of the last 5 sessions, even as **Brent crude oil** falls sharply to **$102.05 per barrel** on supply worries and weak demand. Scrap sellers should watch for more ups and downs amid tight supply and strong long-term needs from green tech.

Aluminum — Current Indicators

• LME Aluminum: $3,477/tonne ($1.58/lb), down $0.0021 (-0.13%) day-over-day. Previous close: $1.58/lb.
• 5-day trend: ↓ 5 of last 5 sessions.

**Aluminum** scrap prices fell to **$1.58/lb**, down less than a cent or **0.13%** today, with drops in **5 of the last 5 sessions**. Sharp slides in **Brent crude oil** to **$102.05/bbl** signal weak global demand that pulls **aluminum** lower too. Scrap sellers should hold off selling until this downtrend eases.[8]

Steel Scrap (Shredded (SHS), scrapmonster) — Current Indicators

• Steel Scrap Shredded (SHS) (SCRAP-SHS): $413.00/mt, flat day-over-day. Previous close: $413.00/mt.
• 5-day trend: → flat over last 5 sessions.
• HMS 1&2 (80:20) (SCRAP-HM): $366.00/mt (flat day-over-day).

Want to move PGM-bearing material, copper, aluminum, or steel scrap through competitive bidding? List your lots on Smash Scrap and let vetted buyers compete for your scrap.