Smash Scrap Morning Metals Report – August 20, 2026
Prices as of August 20, 2026 at 07:31 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.
All tracked metals are lower today.
Jump to:
- Gold — $4,458/oz ▼
- Silver — $66.17/oz ▼
- PGMs — Rh ▸ $8,800 · Pt ▼ $1,792 · Pd ▼ $1,303
- Copper — $6.42/lb ▼
- Aluminum — $1.45/lb ▼
- Steel Scrap — $413.00/mt ▸
- Macro Backdrop
- CAD — USD/CAD 1.3824
Smash Scrap Takeaways for Today
- Gold & Silver — Both are down over 1%; don’t chase higher numbers, tighten spreads and move clean jewelry and contact scrap if you’ve got firm bids.
- PGMs — Platinum and palladium are down, rhodium flat; price converters and cats off today’s sheet but don’t over-commit on long holds.
- Copper — Copper is about 8 cents lower; keep #1 and #2 loads moving, and avoid sitting on borderline material waiting for a bounce.
- Aluminum — Aluminum is still sliding just like we flagged; clear mixed and dirty alu now, and only hold top-grade packs if buyers show real interest.
- Big Picture — 0 of 8 metals higher, 6 lower, 2 flat; treat this as a down tape and use bids to manage risk, not to speculate.
Macro Backdrop — Energy and Risk
Brent Crude Oil: $94.68/bbl, up $3.29 (+3.60%) day-over-day.
US Dollar Index (DXY): 98.77, down 0.87 (-0.87%) day-over-day.
**Energy is running hot while the dollar cools off a bit.**
Brent is back near **$95** and up over **3%** today. That keeps pressure on your shred costs, torch gas, and diesel. Higher fuel hits every load you move, from peddler tin to export containers. Expect more pushback on freight and more noise on delivered numbers.
At the same time, the **dollar index is slipping** and U.S. yields are still high, with real 10-year rates above **2%**. That mix keeps macro risk alive but takes a little edge off the dollar headwind. Net read for you: energy is the problem today, not the Fed. Keep a close eye on your trucking and processing costs as you price incoming and outgoing cats, steel, and non‑ferrous.
Gold — Safe-Haven Indicator
- Spot Gold (XAU): $4,458/oz, down $60.60 (-1.34%) day-over-day. Previous close: $4,518/oz.
- 5-day trend: ↑ 3 of last 5 sessions.
Gold is still **expensive**, even with today’s drop. Price is down about 1% today, but it’s climbed in 3 of the last 5 sessions, while energy stays hot and the dollar cools. For you, that means keep a close eye on high-grade gold scrap, boards, and contacts — this is still a market where clean, well-documented gold loads will get attention from serious buyers.
Silver — Industrial & Precious Hybrid
- Spot Silver (XAG): $66.17/oz, down $0.7365 (-1.10%) day-over-day. Previous close: $66.91/oz.
- 5-day trend: ↑ 3 of last 5 sessions.
- Gold/Silver ratio: 67.4:1.
**Silver is softer today, but the tape is not broken.** Spot silver is at **$66.17/oz**, down about **74 cents**, yet it has still finished **3 of the last 5 sessions higher**. With **Brent near $94.68** and the dollar a bit weaker, buyers may keep a floor under clean silver, coins, and recoverable scrap.
Precious Metals (PGM) — Screen Indicators
- Platinum (Pt): $1,792/oz, down $23.00 (-1.27%) day-over-day. Previous close: $1,815/oz. MoM: +10.3%.
- Platinum 5-day trend: ↑ 3 of last 5 sessions.
- Palladium (Pd): $1,303/oz, down $21.00 (-1.59%) day-over-day. Previous close: $1,324/oz. MoM: +3.1%.
- Palladium 5-day trend: ↑ 3 of last 5 sessions.
- Rhodium (Rh): $8,800/oz, flat day-over-day. Previous close: $8,800/oz. MoM: +7.3%.
- Rhodium 5-day trend: ↑ 1 of last 5 sessions.
**PGM prices are still firm, but the tape is choppy.** Platinum is at $1,792 and palladium at $1,303, both down today, while rhodium is flat at $8,800. Brent near $94.68 keeps energy costs hot, and that can squeeze yard margins even when the dollar is softer.
Copper — Current Indicators
- COMEX/Spot Copper: $6.42/lb, down $0.0835 (-1.28%) day-over-day. Previous close: $6.50/lb.
- 5-day trend: ↑ 3 of last 5 sessions.
Copper slipped to **$6.42/lb today**, down about 8 cents, but it’s still holding most of this week’s gains. Energy is running hot and Brent is near **$95**, so your yard costs stay tight even as copper chops sideways. You don’t have to rush, but don’t sleep on clean, documented copper loads if buyers start leaning in again.
Aluminum — Current Indicators
- LME Aluminum: $3,189/tonne ($1.45/lb), down $0.0196 (-1.34%) day-over-day. Previous close: $1.47/lb.
- 5-day trend: ↑ 3 of last 5 sessions.
**Aluminum is still soft at $1.45/lb, down about 2 cents today.** The dollar eased, but that did not give this market much lift. The 5-day trend is still choppy, with 3 of the last 5 sessions up.
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.
