Smash Scrap Morning Metals Report – July 20, 2026

Prices as of July 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.

Jump to:

• Gold — $4,010/oz ▼
• Silver — $56.81/oz ▲
• PGMs — Rh ▸ $8,250 · Pt ▼ $1,584 · Pd ▲ $1,243
• Copper — $6.32/lb ▲
• Aluminum — $1.43/lb ▼
• Steel Scrap — $413.00/mt ▸
• Macro Backdrop
• CAD — USD/CAD 1.4014

Smash Scrap Takeaways for Today

• Gold & Silver — Keep moving clean gold and silver now; don’t sit on marginal loads if buyers are picky on risk.
• PGMs — Prioritize pulling cats with strong palladium content and move them; be tighter on low-yield platinum-heavy material.
• Copper — Use the 5-cent pop to push bare bright and #1 through competitive bids today instead of holding out.
• Aluminum — Stick to the plan: avoid stockpiling low-grade alu; move mixed clips and dirty grades when you can fill a load.
• Big Picture — Mixed tape again: 3 metals higher, 3 lower, 2 flat — competition and auction bidding matter more than guessing direction.

Macro Backdrop — Energy and Risk

Brent Crude Oil: $88.50/bbl, up $0.4100 (+0.47%) day-over-day.

US Dollar Index (DXY): 100.90, up 0.40 (+0.40%) day-over-day.

**Oil is still hot, and risk is not cooling off.** Brent sits at **$88.50**, up **41 cents** on the day, while the dollar is firmer and the DXY is at **100.9**. That mix keeps freight and input costs sticky, and it can slow some metal buying.[1]

Yields are also higher. The **10Y Treasury is 4.57%** and the **2Y is 4.16%**, so cash is not getting cheaper. With Iran-related risk still in the headlines, the market may stay jumpy, and gold and silver can stay choppy until that fear fades.[4]

Gold — Safe-Haven Indicator

• Spot Gold (XAU): $4,010/oz, down $7.20 (-0.18%) day-over-day. Previous close: $4,017/oz.
• 5-day trend: ↑ 3 of last 5 sessions.

**Gold is still rich, but it’s not running away right now.** Gold is around **$4,010/oz**, down a touch today, but it’s been up in **3 of the last 5 sessions**, even with a stronger dollar and hot oil in the background.[1] With risk still high and Brent near **$88.50**, expect buyers to stay picky on low‑grade gold scrap, so clean, well-documented cats, boards, and jewelry have the best shot at real bids.

Silver — Industrial & Precious Hybrid

• Spot Silver (XAG): $56.81/oz, up +$0.8650 (+1.55%) day-over-day. Previous close: $55.94/oz.
• 5-day trend: ↑ 3 of last 5 sessions.
• Gold/Silver ratio: 70.6:1.

**Silver is up, but still feels choppy and cautious.** Silver’s sitting around **$56.81/oz**, up about **86 cents** today, with 3 green sessions out of the last 5.[1][2] Oil is still hot at **$88.50 Brent**, and with the gold/silver ratio near **70:1**, expect buyers to stay picky on silver loads, so clean, well-documented material will move best in this kind of market.[1][2]

Precious Metals (PGM) — Screen Indicators

• Platinum (Pt): $1,584/oz, down $6.00 (-0.38%) day-over-day. Previous close: $1,590/oz. MoM: -4.8%.
• Platinum 5-day trend: ↓ 3 of last 5 sessions.
• Palladium (Pd): $1,243/oz, up +$13.00 (+1.06%) day-over-day. Previous close: $1,230/oz. MoM: +0.2%.
• Palladium 5-day trend: ↑ 3 of last 5 sessions.
• Rhodium (Rh): $8,250/oz, flat day-over-day. Previous close: $8,250/oz. MoM: +3.1%.
• Rhodium 5-day trend: ↑ 2 of last 5 sessions.

**PGM prices are mixed today, so you need to think before you dump cats.** Platinum is soft at **$1,584/oz** and has slipped in 3 of the last 5 sessions, so don’t rush clean Pt-heavy material unless you need cash flow.[1][6] Palladium is firmer at **$1,243/oz**, up just over 1% today with a 3-of-5-day uptrend, while rhodium is holding flat at **$8,250/oz**, which fits the current “tactical, not panicked” market where hot oil and a strong dollar keep risk high but longer-term PGM demand still supports steady converter flows.[4][6]

Copper — Current Indicators

• COMEX/Spot Copper: $6.32/lb, up +$0.0470 (+0.75%) day-over-day. Previous close: $6.27/lb.
• 5-day trend: ↑ 3 of last 5 sessions.

**Copper is firm at $6.32/lb, up about 5 cents today.** The market has gained in 3 of the last 5 sessions, but the firmer dollar can still cap a fast run.

Aluminum — Current Indicators

• LME Aluminum: $3,147/tonne ($1.43/lb), down $0.0080 (-0.56%) day-over-day. Previous close: $1.44/lb.
• 5-day trend: ↓ 3 of last 5 sessions.

**Aluminum is slipping again, so don’t get greedy holding weak material.** Aluminum sits around **$1.43/lb**, down less than a cent today, and has dropped in **3 of the last 5 sessions**. With oil still hot at **$88.50/bbl** and the dollar firm, this slow drift down says you should move clean, good cats and keep a tighter leash on low‑grade aluminum so you’re not stuck if prices soften further.

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.