Smash Scrap Morning Metals Report – July 16, 2026

Prices as of July 16, 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 — $4,024/oz ▼
• Silver — $56.37/oz ▼
• PGMs — Rh ▸ $8,100 · Pt ▼ $1,637 · Pd ▼ $1,259
• Copper — $6.39/lb ▲
• Aluminum — $1.44/lb ▲
• Steel Scrap — $413.00/mt ▸
• Macro Backdrop
• CAD — USD/CAD 1.4049

Smash Scrap Takeaways for Today

• Gold & Silver — Don’t chase higher prices; move gold and silver-bearing cats and e-scrap on clean paperwork, but push back on weak bids.
• PGMs — With platinum and palladium down and rhodium flat, tighten spreads on high-grade cats and cores; don’t dump unless you need cash.
• Copper — Price is basically flat; stay disciplined on #2 and shred, and don’t hold borderline material hoping for a near-term pop.
• Aluminum — Use the small uptick to clear mixed clips and cast you were sitting on, but don’t relax your specs or documentation.
• Big Picture — 1 of 8 metals higher, 4 lower, 3 flat — pressure remains on precious and PGMs, while base metals are just grinding sideways.

Macro Backdrop — Energy and Risk

Brent Crude Oil: $85.65/bbl, up $0.0400 (+0.05%) day-over-day.

US Dollar Index (DXY): 100.55, down 0.73 (-0.72%) day-over-day.

**Risk stays firm.** Brent is at **$85.65**, up a touch on the day. The dollar is softer too, with the **DXY at 100.55** and **USD/CAD at 1.4049**. That setup can lend some support to metals and risk assets, but it is not a clean bullish signal.

**Rates are the bigger drag.** The **10Y yield is 4.58%** and the **2Y is 4.18%**, with real yield still near **2.35%**. That keeps a lid on long money and can make buyers more careful on higher-cost metals.

Gold — Safe-Haven Indicator

• Spot Gold (XAU): $4,024/oz, down $34.60 (-0.85%) day-over-day. Previous close: $4,059/oz.
• 5-day trend: ↓ 3 of last 5 sessions.

Gold is at **$4,024/oz**, down about 0.85% today and weaker in 3 of the last 5 sessions.[3][4] With risk still firm and Brent holding around **$85.65**, expect gold bids on cats and gold-bearing scrap to stay cautious, so price your loads with today’s softer tone in mind.[3][4]

Silver — Industrial & Precious Hybrid

• Spot Silver (XAG): $56.37/oz, down $1.45 (-2.51%) day-over-day. Previous close: $57.82/oz.
• 5-day trend: ↓ 4 of last 5 sessions.
• Gold/Silver ratio: 71.4:1.

**Silver is softer today, and scrap sellers should expect less shine in the short term.** Price is down to **$56.37/oz**, with silver falling **2.51%** and trending down in **4 of the last 5 sessions**. The **71.4:1 gold/silver ratio** says silver is still cheap versus gold, but the tape is weak right now.

Precious Metals (PGM) — Screen Indicators

• Platinum (Pt): $1,637/oz, down $37.00 (-2.21%) day-over-day. Previous close: $1,674/oz. MoM: -9.2%.
• Platinum 5-day trend: ↑ 3 of last 5 sessions.
• Palladium (Pd): $1,259/oz, down $40.00 (-3.08%) day-over-day. Previous close: $1,299/oz. MoM: -5.9%.
• Palladium 5-day trend: ↑ 3 of last 5 sessions.
• Rhodium (Rh): $8,100/oz, flat day-over-day. Previous close: $8,100/oz. MoM: +1.2%.
• Rhodium 5-day trend: ↓ 1 of last 5 sessions.

PGM prices are soft today, so expect weaker bids on cats. Platinum and palladium are both down a few percent, while rhodium is holding flat but still high, so buyers will stay picky and pay up only for clean, well-documented loads.

Copper — Current Indicators

• COMEX/Spot Copper: $6.39/lb, up +$0.0035 (+0.05%) day-over-day. Previous close: $6.38/lb.
• 5-day trend: ↑ 4 of last 5 sessions.

**Copper’s up, but just barely.** Copper is at **$6.39/lb**, less than a cent higher on the day, with prices up in **4 of the last 5 sessions**. With risk still firm and Brent holding around **$85.65**, this feels like a slow grind higher, not a breakout, so you can move good copper with confidence but don’t expect a big pop just for holding.

Aluminum — Current Indicators

• LME Aluminum: $3,171/tonne ($1.44/lb), up +$0.0107 (+0.75%) day-over-day. Previous close: $1.43/lb.
• 5-day trend: ↑ 3 of last 5 sessions.

**Aluminum is creeping higher, not spiking, but it’s giving you a bit more room on bids today.** Aluminum is at **$1.44/lb**, up about a cent (0.75%), with prices rising in **3 of the last 5** sessions. With risk still firm and Brent steady around **$85.65**, this slow grind up is a decent window to move clips, cast, and UBCs if you’ve been sitting on inventory.

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): $378.00/mt (up +$12.00 (+3.28%) 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.