Smash Scrap Morning Metals Report – July 17, 2026

Prices as of July 17, 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.

Jump to:

• Gold — $3,984/oz ▲
• Silver — $55.34/oz ▼
• PGMs — Rh ▲ $8,250 · Pt ▼ $1,567 · Pd ▼ $1,219
• Copper — $6.21/lb ▼
• Aluminum — $1.43/lb ▼
• Steel Scrap — $413.00/mt ▸
• Macro Backdrop
• CAD — USD/CAD 1.4038

Smash Scrap Takeaways for Today

• Gold & Silver — Gold’s grinding higher while silver slips, so push clean, documented gold-bearing loads to auction and expect buyers to stay picky and conservative on silver-bearing material.
• PGMs — With platinum and palladium down but rhodium up, sort and prioritize rhodium-heavy cats and cores for sale, and be ready to hold weaker mixed PGM material if bids feel light.
• Copper — Copper is down about 8 cents, so use auctions to test real buyer numbers today and avoid locking in big volumes off yesterday’s stronger tape.
• Aluminum — Aluminum is off about a penny, so tighten your packing lists and photos on clean extrusion and sheet to keep bids competitive even in a softer tape.
• Big Picture — 2 of 8 metals higher, 5 lower, 1 flat — this is a buyer’s tape, so you need competition and documentation to reveal true market prices.

Macro Backdrop — Energy and Risk

Brent Crude Oil: $86.13/bbl, up $1.21 (+1.42%) day-over-day.

US Dollar Index (DXY): 100.80, down 0.48 (-0.47%) day-over-day.

**Energy is getting more expensive again, and that raises risk on every load you move.**

Brent crude is back up near the high‑80s and climbing, with LNG prices in Asia jumping on Hormuz supply fears.[1][5] Higher fuel and freight costs can sneak into your numbers fast, especially on long-haul cats and mixed non‑ferrous. The U.S. dollar index is softer, but USD/CAD is still strong, so Canadian yards paid in USD feel some cushion while U.S. exporters watch FX swings on offshore sales.

Yields are drifting lower and inflation expectations are steady, which keeps real rates above 2% and pressure on gold and silver.[4] That backdrop supports more volatility in precious metals while risk markets stay jumpy on Middle East headlines and storm risk in Chile. Net-net: energy risk is up, macro risk is still elevated. Stay tight on freight assumptions and build a little room in bids for fuel, FX, and headline shocks.

Gold — Safe-Haven Indicator

• Spot Gold (XAU): $3,984/oz, up +$11.30 (+0.28%) day-over-day. Previous close: $3,973/oz.
• 5-day trend: ↑ 3 of last 5 sessions.

**Gold is still firm near $4,000 an ounce, but the tape is choppy.** At **$3,984/oz**, it is up **$11.30** today and has been higher in **3 of the last 5 sessions**.[1][2] For scrap sellers, that means clean, documented precious loads still have support, but fuel and freight costs can eat into your net fast when the market gets jumpy.[1][2]

Silver — Industrial & Precious Hybrid

• Spot Silver (XAG): $55.34/oz, down $0.1250 (-0.23%) day-over-day. Previous close: $55.47/oz.
• 5-day trend: ↓ 4 of last 5 sessions.
• Gold/Silver ratio: 72.0:1.

**Silver’s still stuck in a soft tape, so buyers will stay picky on your loads.** Spot is around **$55.34/oz**, down a bit today and red in **4 of the last 5 sessions**, with a wide **72:1 gold/silver ratio** signaling silver is lagging gold. With fuel and freight costs climbing again off Brent near the high‑80s, you need tight inventory, good photos, and clean packing lists if you want real competition on silver-bearing scrap.

Precious Metals (PGM) — Screen Indicators

• Platinum (Pt): $1,567/oz, down $46.00 (-2.85%) day-over-day. Previous close: $1,613/oz. MoM: -10.1%.
• Platinum 5-day trend: ↓ 3 of last 5 sessions.
• Palladium (Pd): $1,219/oz, down $17.00 (-1.38%) day-over-day. Previous close: $1,236/oz. MoM: -6.4%.
• Palladium 5-day trend: ↓ 3 of last 5 sessions.
• Rhodium (Rh): $8,250/oz, up +$50.00 (+0.61%) day-over-day. Previous close: $8,200/oz. MoM: +3.1%.
• Rhodium 5-day trend: ↑ 2 of last 5 sessions.

**PGM prices are soft for most cats today, so buyers will stay selective on what they chase.** Platinum and palladium are both down again, which means more pressure on converter bids unless your loads are clean, graded, and well‑documented. Rhodium is still inching higher, so rhodium‑heavy cats and cores remain the bright spot, but rising fuel costs and freight risk mean you need your numbers tight on every move.

Copper — Current Indicators

• COMEX/Spot Copper: $6.21/lb, down $0.0770 (-1.22%) day-over-day. Previous close: $6.29/lb.
• 5-day trend: ↓ 3 of last 5 sessions.

**Copper’s still rich, but today the tape is pointing down.** Copper is at **$6.21/lb**, off about 8 cents on the day and lower in 3 of the last 5 sessions. Energy costs and freight are climbing again, so if you’re hauling long‑distance copper loads, bake fuel into your numbers and don’t be shy about using auctions to see who really wants your clean material.

Aluminum — Current Indicators

• LME Aluminum: $3,147/tonne ($1.43/lb), down $0.0142 (-0.98%) day-over-day. Previous close: $1.44/lb.
• 5-day trend: ↑ 3 of last 5 sessions.

**Aluminum is sitting around $1.43/lb, down about a penny today, but still holding most of this week’s gains.** You’ve got a mild dip on the tape, yet aluminum is up in 3 of the last 5 sessions, so don’t panic-sell clean loads. With Brent crude near $86 and energy costs creeping up, factor fuel and freight into every aluminum haul, especially long runs on mixed non‑ferrous.

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.