Smash Scrap Morning Metals Report – July 21, 2026

Prices as of July 21, 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 — $4,062/oz ▲
• Silver — $59.01/oz ▲
• PGMs — Rh ▸ $8,200 · Pt ▲ $1,619 · Pd ▲ $1,260
• Copper — $6.52/lb ▲
• Aluminum — $1.44/lb ▲
• Steel Scrap — $413.00/mt ▸
• Macro Backdrop
• CAD — USD/CAD 1.4054

Smash Scrap Takeaways for Today

• Gold & Silver — Use this strength to move clean, well-documented gold and silver-bearing scrap; don’t sit on cats or e-scrap when bids are finally chasing you.
• PGMs — Prioritize selling clean converters and high-grade PGM cores into this up tape; be extra strict on documentation so buyers stay aggressive on your loads.
• Copper — I called this wrong last week; with copper up again, move bright and #1/#2 now and use competition between buyers instead of waiting for “one more pop.”
• Aluminum — Ship segregated, well-packed aluminum while it’s grinding higher; lock in today’s numbers on full loads rather than dribbling partials.
• Big Picture — 6 of 8 metals are higher today, with rhodium and steel flat — this is a seller’s tape, so push competitive auctions and make every load fight for the best bid.

Macro Backdrop — Energy and Risk

Brent Crude Oil: $90.80/bbl, up $1.73 (+1.94%) day-over-day.

US Dollar Index (DXY): 101.01, up 0.28 (+0.28%) day-over-day.

**Energy is hotter, and risk is still in the driver’s seat.** Brent is back above $90 at **$90.80**, up **1.94%** on the day. That keeps fuel and torch costs elevated, and it adds pressure to freight and processing margins for the yard.[1][2]

The dollar is still firm, with **DXY at 101.01** and **USD/CAD at 1.4054**. A stronger dollar usually makes exports less friendly and keeps foreign buyers cautious. Rates are still high too, with the **10Y yield at 4.55%** and the **2Y at 4.18%**, so money stays expensive and buyers stay picky on weak or mixed loads.[3][4]

Gold — Safe-Haven Indicator

• Spot Gold (XAU): $4,062/oz, up +$58.00 (+1.45%) day-over-day. Previous close: $4,004/oz.
• 5-day trend: ↑ 3 of last 5 sessions.

**Gold is moving, not sleeping. If you’ve got gold-bearing scrap, buyers are watching.** Gold is around **$4,062/oz**, up **$58** on the day, with 3 up sessions in the last 5 and energy running hot alongside Brent at **$90.80/bbl**. For you, that means clean, well-documented gold scrap and cats should pull more serious interest, but in a risk-on tape, expect buyers to stay picky and reward good photos, clear weights, and proper packing lists.

Silver — Industrial & Precious Hybrid

• Spot Silver (XAG): $59.01/oz, up +$2.81 (+5.00%) day-over-day. Previous close: $56.20/oz.
• 5-day trend: ↑ 3 of last 5 sessions.
• Gold/Silver ratio: 68.8:1.

**Silver finally caught a bid, so don’t treat it like junk.** Silver is up to about **$59/oz**, jumping **5%** today and rising in **3 of the last 5 sessions**, with the gold/silver ratio near **68.8:1**, which still leaves room for more catch‑up on the upside. With **energy running hot** (Brent around **$90.80**) and risk back in the driver’s seat, expect sharper moves and tighter bids on silver-bearing scrap, so clean, well-documented lots and photo-backed inventory will get the most serious looks from buyers.

Precious Metals (PGM) — Screen Indicators

• Platinum (Pt): $1,619/oz, up +$33.00 (+2.08%) day-over-day. Previous close: $1,586/oz. MoM: -2.7%.
• Platinum 5-day trend: ↓ 3 of last 5 sessions.
• Palladium (Pd): $1,260/oz, up +$23.00 (+1.86%) day-over-day. Previous close: $1,237/oz. MoM: +1.6%.
• Palladium 5-day trend: ↑ 3 of last 5 sessions.
• Rhodium (Rh): $8,200/oz, flat day-over-day. Previous close: $8,200/oz. MoM: +2.5%.
• Rhodium 5-day trend: ↑ 2 of last 5 sessions.

**PGM bids are firmer today, but the tape is still choppy.** Platinum is up to **$1,619/oz** and palladium is at **$1,260/oz**, while rhodium is flat at **$8,200/oz**. Brent is still hot at **$90.80**, so fuel and operating costs stay heavy, and that keeps buyers selective on cat loads and other PGM scrap.

Copper — Current Indicators

• COMEX/Spot Copper: $6.52/lb, up +$0.1815 (+2.87%) day-over-day. Previous close: $6.33/lb.
• 5-day trend: ↑ 3 of last 5 sessions.

**Copper finally popped. If you were waiting for a better number, you’ve got one today.** Copper is up about **18 cents** to **$6.52/lb**, a **2.87%** jump, with gains in **3 of the last 5** sessions. Energy is hot, Brent is sitting around **$90.80**, and risk money is back in the game, so expect buyers to stay active—but still picky on dirty wire and mixed loads.

Aluminum — Current Indicators

• LME Aluminum: $3,176/tonne ($1.44/lb), up +$0.0174 (+1.22%) day-over-day. Previous close: $1.42/lb.
• 5-day trend: ↓ 3 of last 5 sessions.

**Aluminum is up, but the tape still feels choppy.** Aluminum is sitting around **$1.44/lb**, about 2 cents higher and up a bit over 1% today. Price is rising, but it’s been down 3 of the last 5 sessions, so don’t get greedy holding loads too long.

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.