Smash Scrap Morning Metals Report – May 21, 2026

Prices as of May 21, 2026 at 09:05 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.

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• Gold — $4,506/oz ▼
• Silver — $75.29/oz ▼
• PGMs — Rh ▼ $9,650 · Pt ▼ $1,927 · Pd ▼ $1,342
• Copper — $6.28/lb ▼
• Aluminum — $1.65/lb ▲
• Steel Scrap — $413.00/mt ▸
• Macro Backdrop
• CAD — USD/CAD 1.3751

Smash Scrap Takeaways for Today

• Gold & Silver — Both are down again; if you’re not tight on cash, hold your bars, coins, and jewelry a bit longer and wait for a bounce toward $4,550 gold / $76 silver before making big sales.
• PGMs — All three (platinum, palladium, rhodium) are sliding; slow-roll your cat and PGM scrap, quote shorter validity on offers, and only move what you must to cover cash flow.
• Copper — Price slipped about 5 cents; avoid dumping clean #1 and bright wire today, but keep material pre-sorted and boxed so you can move fast on the next uptick.
• Aluminum — Up slightly and holding well; this is the metal to move now, so push volume on clean sheet, extrusion, and cans while buyers are still bidding steady to firm.
• Big Picture — Mixed market with 1 of 8 metals higher (aluminum ↑), 6 lower (gold, silver, platinum, palladium, rhodium, copper ↓), and steel flat, so be picky: sell strength (aluminum), sit tight on most precious and copper where you can.

Macro Backdrop — Energy and Risk

Brent Crude Oil: $106.70/bbl, up $1.17 (+1.11%) day-over-day.

US Dollar Index (DXY): 99.35, up 0.38 (+0.38%) day-over-day.

Energy is firmer today. Brent crude is up to $106.70 a barrel, and that can help lift scrap demand tied to transport, shipping, and factory use. But the move also keeps cost pressure in the background. The dollar is stronger too, with the DXY at 99.35 and USD/CAD at 1.3751. A stronger dollar can make metals look more expensive for buyers outside the U.S.

Rates are still a headwind. The 10-year yield is at 4.67%, which can keep pressure on risk assets and curb fresh buying. Inflation expectations eased a bit, but not enough to change the bigger picture. For scrap yards, this points to a market that can move fast, but may stay choppy. Watch both oil and the dollar for the next price cue.

Gold — Safe-Haven Indicator

• Spot Gold (XAU): $4,506/oz, down $36.83 (-0.81%) day-over-day. Previous close: $4,543/oz.
• 5-day trend: ↓ 3 of last 5 sessions.

Gold is still at a high level for scrap sellers and recyclers, but today it slipped to $4,506 an ounce, down 0.81%. The dollar is firmer, and the 5-day trend has turned weaker, so sellers may want to watch the market closely and compare offers before locking in a deal.

Silver — Industrial & Precious Hybrid

• Spot Silver (XAG): $75.29/oz, down $0.3740 (-0.49%) day-over-day. Previous close: $75.67/oz.
• 5-day trend: ↓ 3 of last 5 sessions.
• Gold/Silver ratio: 59.8:1.

Silver is at about $75.29/oz today, down around 37 cents and weaker in 3 of the last 5 sessions as the stronger dollar weighs on prices. The gold/silver ratio near 60:1 still favors silver versus gold on a relative basis, so scrap sellers may want to watch for any bounce before moving large loads, while steady recyclers can keep feeding material as refiners stay active.

Precious Metals (PGM) — Screen Indicators

• Platinum (Pt): $1,927/oz, down $17.00 (-0.87%) day-over-day. Previous close: $1,944/oz. MoM: -5.0%.
• Platinum 5-day trend: ↓ 3 of last 5 sessions.
• Palladium (Pd): $1,342/oz, down $11.00 (-0.81%) day-over-day. Previous close: $1,353/oz. MoM: -12.1%.
• Palladium 5-day trend: ↓ 3 of last 5 sessions.
• Rhodium (Rh): $9,650/oz, down $50.00 (-0.52%) day-over-day. Previous close: $9,700/oz. MoM: -4.9%.
• Rhodium 5-day trend: ↓ 5 of last 5 sessions.

PGM prices are soft today, with platinum, palladium, and rhodium all ticking lower again. The stronger dollar and firm energy backdrop are not helping, so scrap sellers may face slightly weaker bids and might need to shop around or hold if yards turn cautious.

Copper — Current Indicators

• COMEX/Spot Copper: $6.28/lb, down $0.0460 (-0.73%) day-over-day. Previous close: $6.32/lb.
• 5-day trend: ↓ 3 of last 5 sessions.

Copper is still high at $6.28 a pound, but it slipped about 5 cents today. The market has now fallen in 3 of the last 5 sessions, so scrap sellers may want to watch for more short-term chop even though prices stay strong overall.

Aluminum — Current Indicators

• LME Aluminum: $3,642/tonne ($1.65/lb), up +$0.0049 (+0.30%) day-over-day. Previous close: $1.65/lb.
• 5-day trend: ↑ 3 of last 5 sessions.

Aluminum is around $1.65 per pound today, up a touch but less than a penny from yesterday, with 3 gains in the last 5 sessions. Energy costs are firm and the dollar is a bit stronger, so yards may stay cautious, but clean, sorted aluminum loads should still bring solid money if you’re ready to sell.

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.