Smash Scrap Morning Metals Report – August 13, 2026

Prices as of August 13, 2026 at 07:32 AM CDT.

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.

Jump to:

• Gold — $4,390/oz ▼
• Silver — $64.97/oz ▼
• PGMs — Rh ▸ $8,725 · Pt ▼ $1,726 · Pd ▼ $1,321
• Copper — $6.60/lb ▼
• Aluminum — $1.49/lb ▼
• Steel Scrap — $413.00/mt ▸
• Macro Backdrop
• CAD — USD/CAD 1.3930

Smash Scrap Takeaways for Today

• Gold & Silver — Both are lower, so don’t chase a bounce. Clean, documented lots still get better eyes from buyers than mixed material, so move the good stuff and hold weak material if you can.
• PGMs — Platinum and palladium are both down, and palladium is taking the bigger hit. Tighten up cat sorting, verify counts, and push only clean, assay-backed loads if you want firmer bids.
• Copper — Copper is soft again, so keep it clean and sorted. Hold back mixed or partial loads if your yard can wait, because buyers will nickel-and-dime contamination in this tape.
• Aluminum — Aluminum is down too, so dirty or mixed aluminum will get punished. Strip out steel, plastic, and other trash before you sell, or you’ll leave money on the table.
• Big Picture — 0 of 8 metals higher today, 6 lower, 2 flat, so sellers should be selective, lean on clean lots, and use competition to find the market.

Macro Backdrop — Energy and Risk

Brent Crude Oil: $87.40/bbl, down $1.08 (-1.22%) day-over-day.

US Dollar Index (DXY): 99.94, up 0.13 (+0.13%) day-over-day.

**Energy is softer today, and that takes some heat out of scrap.** Brent is down to **$87.40** a barrel, while the dollar is still firm. That keeps pressure on freight, power, and import costs. [1]

The bigger risk is still the same: **high rates and a strong dollar** can slow metal buying. The 10-year yield is **4.70%**, and the DXY sits near **99.94**. That can cap risk appetite, even with auto output still moving higher and scrap flows staying active. [1]

Gold — Safe-Haven Indicator

• Spot Gold (XAU): $4,390/oz, down $9.60 (-0.22%) day-over-day. Previous close: $4,400/oz.
• 5-day trend: ↑ 3 of last 5 sessions.

**Gold is still firm, but today’s pullback shows the trade is choppy.** Gold sits at **$4,390/oz**, down **$9.60**, while the firmer dollar and softer energy are taking some heat out of the market. Even so, the 5-day trend is still positive, so clean, well-documented gold lots can still draw better attention than messy material.

Silver — Industrial & Precious Hybrid

• Spot Silver (XAG): $64.97/oz, down $0.1790 (-0.27%) day-over-day. Previous close: $65.15/oz.
• 5-day trend: ↑ 3 of last 5 sessions.
• Gold/Silver ratio: 67.6:1.

**Silver is still firm at $64.97 an ounce, but it slipped 18 cents today.** The five-day trend is still up in 3 of 5 sessions, so the tape is not broken, but softer energy and a firm dollar can cap the push for scrap sellers.

Precious Metals (PGM) — Screen Indicators

• Platinum (Pt): $1,726/oz, down $17.00 (-0.98%) day-over-day. Previous close: $1,743/oz. MoM: +6.3%.
• Platinum 5-day trend: ↑ 3 of last 5 sessions.
• Palladium (Pd): $1,321/oz, down $27.00 (-2.00%) day-over-day. Previous close: $1,348/oz. MoM: +3.0%.
• Palladium 5-day trend: ↑ 3 of last 5 sessions.
• Rhodium (Rh): $8,725/oz, flat day-over-day. Previous close: $8,725/oz. MoM: +7.7%.
• Rhodium 5-day trend: ↑ 3 of last 5 sessions.

**PGM prices are mixed, but the tone is softer for scrap sellers today.** Platinum is down to **$1,726/oz** and palladium is at **$1,321/oz**, while rhodium is flat at **$8,725/oz**; energy is softer and the firm dollar is still taking some heat out of the market. The 5-day trend is still up in 3 of 5 sessions, so buyers may stay active, but they will be pickier on cats and converter lots.

Copper — Current Indicators

• COMEX/Spot Copper: $6.60/lb, down $0.0075 (-0.11%) day-over-day. Previous close: $6.61/lb.
• 5-day trend: ↓ 3 of last 5 sessions.

Copper is **$6.60/lb**, down a hair today, and the 5-day trend is still soft with **3 of the last 5 sessions lower**. With **Brent at $87.40** and energy easing, buyers may stay picky, so clean, well-sorted copper will hold up better than mixed loads.

Aluminum — Current Indicators

• LME Aluminum: $3,280/tonne ($1.49/lb), down $0.0119 (-0.79%) day-over-day. Previous close: $1.50/lb.
• 5-day trend: ↑ 3 of last 5 sessions.

**Aluminum is soft today, and that puts more pressure on scrap sellers.** It’s at **$1.49/lb**, down about **1 cent** and **0.79%** on the day, even though it has moved up in **3 of the last 5 sessions**. With **energy softer** and Brent at **$87.40**, buyers may stay cautious on mixed or dirty aluminum.

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.