Smash Scrap Morning Metals Report – August 21, 2026
Prices as of August 21, 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.
All tracked metals are higher today.
Jump to:
- Gold — $4,585/oz ▲
- Silver — $69.39/oz ▲
- PGMs — Rh ▸ $8,800 · Pt ▲ $1,876 · Pd ▲ $1,341
- Copper — $6.61/lb ▲
- Aluminum — $1.47/lb ▲
- Steel Scrap — $413.00/mt ▸
- Macro Backdrop
- CAD — USD/CAD 1.3785
Smash Scrap Takeaways for Today
- Gold & Silver — Sell clean gold and silver cats and jewelry now while the bid is strong, but keep some for flex if this run extends.
- PGMs — Move complete loads of platinum and palladium cats today and use SMASH auctions to test buyer appetite while rhodium sits flat.
- Copper — My call for a pullback was wrong; with copper up again, push borderline wire, tubing, and chop into the market while you still have this strength.
- Aluminum — Same story here: prices didn’t soften, they firmed; clear mixed and dirty aluminum now and tighten your grading to capture the better sheet and extrusion money.
- Big Picture — Six of eight core metals are higher with steel and rhodium flat, so you should lean into selling finished, documented inventory while the tape is friendly but avoid dumping premium material in panic.
Macro Backdrop — Energy and Risk
Brent Crude Oil: $94.20/bbl, up $0.9100 (+0.98%) day-over-day.
US Dollar Index (DXY): 98.68, down 0.96 (-0.96%) day-over-day.
**Energy is still firm, and the dollar is softer. That keeps the macro tone mixed for scrap.**
Brent crude is up to **$94.20/bbl**, and WTI is holding near **$86.48/bbl**. That supports freight and processing costs. But the **DXY is down to 98.68**, and **USD/CAD is 1.3785**, which eases some currency pressure for North American trade.
Rates are a touch lower too, with the **10Y yield at 4.65%** and real yields still positive at about **2.31%**. That keeps risk assets choppy. For scrap, the setup still favors selective buying, not blind chasing.
Gold — Safe-Haven Indicator
- Spot Gold (XAU): $4,585/oz, up +$63.70 (+1.41%) day-over-day. Previous close: $4,521/oz.
- 5-day trend: ↑ 4 of last 5 sessions.
**Gold is still firm, and that helps keep scrap value in the mix.** It closed at $4,585/oz, up $63.70, with 4 of the last 5 sessions higher. A softer dollar and steady energy are giving the market a lift, so sellers should watch the tape and move clean gold-bearing material with good docs.
Silver — Industrial & Precious Hybrid
- Spot Silver (XAG): $69.39/oz, up +$1.19 (+1.74%) day-over-day. Previous close: $68.20/oz.
- 5-day trend: ↑ 4 of last 5 sessions.
- Gold/Silver ratio: 66.1:1.
Silver is **pushing higher**, trading around **$69.39/oz**, up about 1.7% today. The move lines up with a **softer dollar and firm energy**, and silver has risen in **4 of the last 5 sessions**, so scrap sellers can expect steady interest on clean silver loads and mixed non-ferrous with silver content. The **gold/silver ratio near 66:1** still leaves room for silver to catch up if this trend holds.
Precious Metals (PGM) — Screen Indicators
- Platinum (Pt): $1,876/oz, up +$40.00 (+2.18%) day-over-day. Previous close: $1,836/oz. MoM: +15.4%.
- Platinum 5-day trend: ↑ 4 of last 5 sessions.
- Palladium (Pd): $1,341/oz, up +$25.00 (+1.90%) day-over-day. Previous close: $1,316/oz. MoM: +5.7%.
- 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: → flat over last 5 sessions.
**PGMs are firm, and that helps your cat loads and converter pull.** Platinum and palladium are both up again, with steady gains over most of the week, so converter scrap is in a better spot today. Rhodium is flat, but with Brent near $94 and the dollar softer, the backdrop still supports decent bids if you’re organized and know your PGM content.
Copper — Current Indicators
- COMEX/Spot Copper: $6.61/lb, up +$0.1235 (+1.91%) day-over-day. Previous close: $6.48/lb.
- 5-day trend: ↑ 3 of last 5 sessions.
Copper is firm today, up about **12 cents** at **$6.61/lb**, with gains in **3 of the last 5** sessions. With energy still strong at **$94.20 Brent** and the dollar softer, buyers are staying active, so you can move clean wire and chop with confidence.
Aluminum — Current Indicators
- LME Aluminum: $3,240/tonne ($1.47/lb), up +$0.0240 (+1.66%) day-over-day. Previous close: $1.45/lb.
- 5-day trend: ↑ 3 of last 5 sessions.
**Aluminum is up to $1.47/lb, and the tape is still leaning higher.** It’s gained about 2 cents today, with 3 of the last 5 sessions moving up, so sellers have a better read on the market now. Softer dollar pressure and firm energy are keeping support under the board.
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.
