Smash Scrap Morning Metals Report – March 5, 2026

Prices as of March 05, 2026 at 02:56 PM UTC.

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.

Smash Scrap Takeaways for Today

• Gold & Silver — Both metals dropped over $1 today, with gold down $53 to $5,101/oz and silver falling 95 cents to $82.59/oz. Hold off on selling jewelry scrap and dental gold until this pullback stabilizes—Detroit and Chicago yards may lower buy prices through Friday.
• PGMs — Rhodium got hammered, dropping $400 to $11,450/oz (down 3.4%), while palladium fell $33 to $1,625/oz. If you're sitting on catalytic converter inventory in Houston or LA, consider listing today before further declines hit your margins.
• Copper — Data for copper is temporarily unavailable; check back tomorrow for updated figures.
• Aluminum — Data for aluminum is temporarily unavailable; check back tomorrow for updated figures.
• Big Picture — All tracked precious metals moved lower today, signaling continued weakness across scrap markets from Pittsburgh to Atlanta.

Macro Backdrop — Energy and Risk

Brent Crude Oil: $84.06/bbl, up $1.70 (+2.06%) day-over-day.

Oil surged $1.70 today on supply concerns and geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, building on the strong energy rally we've seen this week. The 10-year Treasury yield ticked up slightly to 4.06%, while inflation expectations held steady at 2.29%, keeping the Fed's policy stance in focus as markets weigh competing pressures from higher energy costs and economic growth.

Higher oil prices boost transportation costs for scrap collection and processing, but they also signal stronger industrial activity that drives steel demand. Safe-haven buying in gold and silver, as noted in recent headlines about geopolitical storms and Middle East escalation, typically spills over into base metals when supply chains face disruption. Scrap yards from Detroit's auto belt to Houston's industrial corridor should expect continued volatility as energy-sensitive sectors adjust to these macro crosscurrents.

Gold — Safe-Haven Indicator

• Spot Gold (XAU): $5,101/oz, down $53.40 (-1.04%) day-over-day. Previous close: $5,154/oz.
• 5-day trend: ↑ 3 of last 5 sessions.

Gold pulled back today after showing strength in recent sessions, as scrap sellers from Detroit to Houston face a mixed trading environment. The decline comes despite gold's traditional safe-haven appeal, suggesting profit-taking after the metal's recovery from earlier this week's sharp drop. Scrap yard operators and jewelers should monitor whether this pullback continues or if buying interest returns at these levels, particularly as industrial e-waste recyclers balance timing their gold-bearing electronics sales.

Silver — Industrial & Precious Hybrid

• Spot Silver (XAG): $82.59/oz, down $0.9470 (-1.13%) day-over-day. Previous close: $83.54/oz.
• 5-day trend: ↓ 3 of last 5 sessions.
• Gold/Silver ratio: 61.8:1.

Silver dropped about 95 cents today, continuing a mostly downward trend over the past week after bouncing back from earlier declines. The gold-to-silver ratio at 61.8-to-1 suggests silver remains relatively affordable compared to gold, which could attract industrial buyers who use silver in electronics and solar panels. For scrap sellers across Detroit, Chicago, and other major markets, this pullback means slightly lower payouts for silver-bearing electronic waste, jewelry, and industrial scrap, though silver's dual role as both a precious and industrial metal should provide some price support as technology demand stays strong.

Precious Metals (PGM) — Screen Indicators

• Platinum (Pt): $2,138/oz, down $21.00 (-0.97%) day-over-day. Previous close: $2,159/oz.
• Platinum 5-day trend: ↓ 3 of last 5 sessions.
• Palladium (Pd): $1,625/oz, down $33.00 (-1.99%) day-over-day. Previous close: $1,658/oz.
• Palladium 5-day trend: ↓ 4 of last 5 sessions.
• Rhodium (Rh): $11,450/oz, down $400.00 (-3.38%) day-over-day. Previous close: $11,850/oz.
• Rhodium 5-day trend: ↓ 4 of last 5 sessions.

PGM markets turned sharply lower across the board, with rhodium leading the decline and palladium extending its recent weakness from earlier this week. This broad-based selling pressure continues the volatility we've seen since Tuesday's major moves, suggesting industrial buyers may be pulling back ahead of key economic data. For scrap sellers from Detroit's auto belt to Houston's industrial corridors, this creates a challenging environment where timing becomes crucial—catalytic converter processors and electronics recyclers are likely to tighten their bid spreads until price direction becomes clearer.

Copper — Current Indicators

• Copper: Price unavailable.

Since copper pricing data is temporarily unavailable today, scrap sellers across Detroit, Chicago, and other major markets should check back tomorrow for updated figures. Based on recent market memory, copper had been showing some volatility with industrial metals seeing mixed trading patterns. Scrap yard operators dealing in #1 and #2 copper, bare bright wire, and copper tubing should keep an eye on broader economic signals and industrial demand, as these typically drive pricing for all copper grades in the American scrap market.

Aluminum — Current Indicators

• Aluminum: Price unavailable.

Aluminum pricing data is temporarily unavailable today, but scrap sellers across Detroit, Chicago, and Houston should note the metal's recent upward momentum from earlier this week when it gained ground alongside other industrial metals. Cast aluminum from auto recyclers and sheet material from manufacturing operations have been seeing steady yard interest, particularly as supply chains remain tight and domestic production costs stay elevated. With energy prices fluctuating and potential tariff discussions affecting import flows, both extrusion scrap from construction sites and automotive cast material should continue finding solid demand at major scrap operations from Philadelphia to Los Angeles.

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.