Smash Scrap Morning Metals Report – May 26, 2026

Prices as of May 26, 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 — $4,505/oz ▼
• Silver — $75.75/oz ▲
• PGMs — Rh ▼ $9,400 · Pt ▲ $1,943 · Pd ▲ $1,371
• Copper — $6.39/lb ▲
• Aluminum — $1.67/lb ▲
• Steel Scrap — $413.00/mt ▸
• Macro Backdrop
• CAD — USD/CAD 1.3804

Smash Scrap Takeaways for Today

• Gold & Silver — Gold is flat but silver is inching up, so prioritize moving clean silver (coins, bars, high‑grade jewelry) today and be more selective on gold, only selling if you need cash flow.
• PGMs — With platinum and palladium up and rhodium sliding again, move platinum and palladium‑heavy cats now, but hold rhodium‑rich material unless you must sell into this downtrend.
• Copper — Copper is barely higher but holding above $6.30, so use this green day to clear heavier #1 wire, tubing, and bus bar, while staying patient on marginal or mixed copper.
• Aluminum — Aluminum’s ~1 cent gain keeps the uptrend alive, so push volume on clean extrusion, sheet, and cast instead of waiting for a bigger jump that may not come.
• Big Picture — With 5 of 8 metals higher and only rhodium notably weak, lean toward selling strength today while avoiding panic sales in the few soft spots.

Macro Backdrop — Energy and Risk

Brent Crude Oil: $95.96/bbl, down $7.98 (-7.68%) day-over-day.

US Dollar Index (DXY): 99.11, flat day-over-day.

Oil is **much lower** today, with Brent down **7.7%** to **$95.96/bbl**. That eases some cost pressure, but it also points to softer risk appetite in the broader market.[1]

The **U.S. dollar** is steady, with DXY at **99.11** and USD/CAD at **1.3804**. The **10-year yield** is holding at **4.57%**, while inflation expectations ticked up to **2.40%**. That mix keeps financing costs high and can cap upside for scrap-linked industrial demand.[1]

Gold — Safe-Haven Indicator

• Spot Gold (XAU): $4,505/oz, down $1.85 (-0.04%) day-over-day. Previous close: $4,507/oz.
• 5-day trend: ↓ 3 of last 5 sessions.

Gold is holding near record highs at **$4,505/oz**, but it’s **slipped a touch** today and has been down in **3 of the last 5 sessions**. With the dollar flat and oil much lower, the heat is coming out of the trade a bit, so scrap sellers may want to expect slightly softer bids but still very strong returns at these levels.

Silver — Industrial & Precious Hybrid

• Spot Silver (XAG): $75.75/oz, up +$0.2140 (+0.28%) day-over-day. Previous close: $75.54/oz.
• 5-day trend: ↑ 3 of last 5 sessions.
• Gold/Silver ratio: 59.5:1.

Silver is trading around **$75.75/oz**, up about **21 cents** today, and has moved higher in **3 of the last 5 sessions**, so this is still a firm market for sellers. With the **gold/silver ratio near 59.5:1** and oil prices much lower, scrap yards may stay cautious on premiums, so expect decent but not blowout bids on silver-bearing scrap.

Precious Metals (PGM) — Screen Indicators

• Platinum (Pt): $1,943/oz, up +$23.00 (+1.20%) day-over-day. Previous close: $1,920/oz. MoM: -3.4%.
• Platinum 5-day trend: ↑ 3 of last 5 sessions.
• Palladium (Pd): $1,371/oz, up +$37.00 (+2.77%) day-over-day. Previous close: $1,334/oz. MoM: -7.6%.
• Palladium 5-day trend: ↑ 3 of last 5 sessions.
• Rhodium (Rh): $9,400/oz, down $250.00 (-2.59%) day-over-day. Previous close: $9,650/oz. MoM: -6.5%.
• Rhodium 5-day trend: ↓ 4 of last 5 sessions.

Platinum and palladium are **up again**, with both metals rising in 3 of the last 5 sessions, which improves payouts for catalytic converters and other PGM scrap. Rhodium is still **slipping**, down in 4 of the last 5 sessions, so mixed PGM loads with heavy rhodium content may see weaker quotes even as platinum and palladium help support the overall basket.

Copper — Current Indicators

• COMEX/Spot Copper: $6.39/lb, up +$0.0055 (+0.09%) day-over-day. Previous close: $6.38/lb.
• 5-day trend: ↑ 4 of last 5 sessions.

Copper is holding firm around **$6.39/lb**, up just a hair today but higher in 4 of the last 5 sessions. With oil now much lower and the dollar flat, this slow, steady climb suggests scrap yards may stay cautious on raises, so sellers can be patient and shop around for the best bids.

Aluminum — Current Indicators

• LME Aluminum: $3,678/tonne ($1.67/lb), up +$0.0124 (+0.75%) day-over-day. Previous close: $1.66/lb.
• 5-day trend: ↑ 5 of last 5 sessions.

**Aluminum** is steady to higher for scrap sellers, with the market at **$1.67/lb**, up about **1 cent** today and up for **5 straight sessions**. That gives sellers a firmer tone, but the lower oil backdrop and flat dollar suggest this move is more about market momentum than a big new push.

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.