Smash Scrap Morning Metals Report – May 20, 2026

Prices as of May 20, 2026 at 12:31 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.

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• Gold — $4,501/oz ▲
• Silver — $75.65/oz ▲
• PGMs — Rh ▼ $9,700 · Pt ▲ $1,936 · Pd ▼ $1,342
• Copper — $6.23/lb ▲
• Aluminum — $1.63/lb ▼
• Steel Scrap — $413.00/mt ▸
• Macro Backdrop
• CAD — USD/CAD 1.3757

Smash Scrap Takeaways for Today

• Gold & Silver — Use this pop to move older jewelry, coins, and clean bent sterling; stagger sales over a few loads in case this up-move continues.
• PGMs — Prioritize platinum cats and lab scrap now; if you have palladium- or rhodium-heavy pieces, cherry-pick and hold the richer units for a better PGM board.
• Copper — With prices a bit higher and still choppy lately, ship #1 and bare bright now, but keep lower grades and motors ready in case we get another small bump.
• Aluminum — Do not rush; keep cans, sheet, and extrusions building as today’s tiny dip gives you no reward for moving material fast.
• Big Picture — Mixed board again (4 up, 3 down, 1 flat), so stay flexible: sell strength like gold/silver/copper, but be picky and slower on weak spots like palladium, rhodium, and aluminum.

Macro Backdrop — Energy and Risk

Brent Crude Oil: $108.33/bbl, down $2.73 (-2.46%) day-over-day.

Energy is softer today. Brent crude is down to $108.33 a barrel, off $2.73. That can ease scrap hauling and yard costs a bit. But oil is still high, so transport and diesel are not cheap.

Risk is mixed. The dollar is a little weaker, and that can help metals a bit. The 10-year yield is still high at 4.61%, so money is not loose. Auto output is up, which is a good sign for scrap demand. USD/CAD at 1.3757 also keeps the Canadian market in focus. Overall, this is a watch-and-wait backdrop, not a strong breakout setup.

Gold — Safe-Haven Indicator

• Spot Gold (XAU): $4,501/oz, up +$19.25 (+0.43%) day-over-day. Previous close: $4,482/oz.
• 5-day trend: ↓ 3 of last 5 sessions.

Gold is up a bit today around $4,501/oz, but it has slipped in 3 of the last 5 sessions, so the trend is still soft. With energy prices easing and gold a touch higher, scrap sellers may want to move clean, tested gold now on any local bid strength, and hold only if they can ride out more short-term swings.

Silver — Industrial & Precious Hybrid

• Spot Silver (XAG): $75.65/oz, up +$1.67 (+2.26%) day-over-day. Previous close: $73.98/oz.
• 5-day trend: ↓ 3 of last 5 sessions.
• Gold/Silver ratio: 59.5:1.

Silver is up today around $75.65/oz, but it has still been down in 3 of the last 5 sessions, so the trend is choppy. For scrap sellers and recyclers, this is a good level to move clean silver in steady volumes, but keep checking live spot and yard scales because buyers may stay cautious while prices swing around.

Precious Metals (PGM) — Screen Indicators

• Platinum (Pt): $1,936/oz, up +$12.00 (+0.62%) day-over-day. Previous close: $1,924/oz. MoM: -7.7%.
• Platinum 5-day trend: ↓ 3 of last 5 sessions.
• Palladium (Pd): $1,342/oz, down $2.00 (-0.15%) day-over-day. Previous close: $1,344/oz. MoM: -13.2%.
• Palladium 5-day trend: ↓ 4 of last 5 sessions.
• Rhodium (Rh): $9,700/oz, down $50.00 (-0.51%) day-over-day. Previous close: $9,750/oz. MoM: -4.4%.
• Rhodium 5-day trend: ↓ 4 of last 5 sessions.

Platinum is a bit firmer today, while palladium and rhodium are still drifting lower, even as energy costs ease with Brent crude down around $108. For scrap sellers, that means platinum-heavy cats and jewelry look a little better to move now, but weak palladium and rhodium suggest you may want to shop bids hard or hold select material if cash flow allows.

Copper — Current Indicators

• COMEX/Spot Copper: $6.23/lb, up +$0.0310 (+0.50%) day-over-day. Previous close: $6.20/lb.
• 5-day trend: ↓ 3 of last 5 sessions.

Copper is up a little today at $6.23 a pound, but the market is still choppy. The 5-day trend is mixed, so scrap sellers should expect quick moves and check bids before locking in loads.

Aluminum — Current Indicators

• LME Aluminum: $3,594/tonne ($1.63/lb), down $0.0010 (-0.06%) day-over-day. Previous close: $1.63/lb.
• 5-day trend: ↓ 4 of last 5 sessions.

Aluminum is basically flat today at about $1.63 per pound, down less than a penny, but it has slipped in four of the last five sessions. With energy prices easing and Brent crude softer at $108.33 a barrel, the heat is coming out of the market, so sellers don’t need to rush, but should watch for any pickup in demand before holding 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.