Smash Scrap Morning Metals Report – May 28, 2026

Prices as of May 28, 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 — $4,385/oz ▼
• Silver — $72.98/oz ▼
• PGMs — Rh ▼ $9,000 · Pt ▼ $1,877 · Pd ▼ $1,326
• Copper — $6.33/lb ▼
• Aluminum — $1.65/lb ▲
• Steel Scrap — $413.00/mt ▸
• Macro Backdrop
• CAD — USD/CAD 1.3831

Smash Scrap Takeaways for Today

• Gold & Silver — Use this drop to move low-grade and mixed jewelry now, but hold back your clean coins and bars unless you need cash today.
• PGMs — Do not wait for a “bounce” here; move palladium, platinum, and rhodium cat material on this weak tape and keep only your very best units aside.
• Copper — With copper barely down, keep steady flows moving but avoid dumping big volumes; wait for a clearer green day before clearing out stock.
• Aluminum — Aluminum is the only metal up, so lean into it: push clean, sorted aluminum now and use the strength here to offset weaker prices elsewhere.
• Big Picture — Only 1 of 8 metals is higher today (Aluminum ↑; 6 down; Steel flat), so treat this as a defensive day: keep metal moving, but be selective about what you stockpile.

Macro Backdrop — Energy and Risk

Brent Crude Oil: $94.54/bbl, up $1.30 (+1.39%) day-over-day.

US Dollar Index (DXY): 99.27, down 0.05 (-0.05%) day-over-day.

Oil is **back on the move up**, while the **dollar is a touch softer** and long-term rates have eased. That mix leans slightly **risk‑on**, but high energy costs keep pressure on freight and shred operations.

Brent crude is near **$95/bbl**, up about 1.4%, which supports fuel surcharges and keeps trucking and torch costs elevated for yards and mills. The U.S. dollar index is flat-to-lower and USD/CAD is holding around **1.38**, so currency is not a big driver today. The 10‑year yield dipped to **4.5%** while the Fed rate is steady near **3.6%**, with CPI still grinding higher, so inflation and rate risk are not going away. For scrap, think **firm energy, sticky inflation, and only mild relief on financing costs**—supportive for hard assets, but not a green light for big risk-taking.

Gold — Safe-Haven Indicator

• Spot Gold (XAU): $4,385/oz, down $74.91 (-1.68%) day-over-day. Previous close: $4,460/oz.
• 5-day trend: ↓ 4 of last 5 sessions.

Gold is trading around **$4,385/oz**, down about **1.7% on the day** and lower in **4 of the last 5 sessions**, even as oil pushes up to **$94.54/bbl** and the dollar stays a bit softer with easier long-term rates.[2][3] For scrap sellers and recyclers, that means returns are still very strong in dollar terms, but this pullback after a hot run gives you a chance to test bids and maybe move some material on rallies rather than all at once.

Silver — Industrial & Precious Hybrid

• Spot Silver (XAG): $72.98/oz, down $1.70 (-2.28%) day-over-day. Previous close: $74.69/oz.
• 5-day trend: ↓ 3 of last 5 sessions.
• Gold/Silver ratio: 60.1:1.

Silver is trading around **$72.98/oz**, down about **2.3% today**, and it has fallen in **3 of the last 5 sessions**, so spot is a bit softer but still at very strong levels for sellers. With the **gold/silver ratio near 60:1**, silver is still holding decent value versus gold, and with oil **back on the move up** and the dollar a bit softer, yards may want to keep offers flexible and watch for quick swings in sterling, jewelry, and industrial silver scrap bids.

Precious Metals (PGM) — Screen Indicators

• Platinum (Pt): $1,877/oz, down $51.00 (-2.65%) day-over-day. Previous close: $1,928/oz. MoM: -3.1%.
• Platinum 5-day trend: ↓ 3 of last 5 sessions.
• Palladium (Pd): $1,326/oz, down $44.00 (-3.21%) day-over-day. Previous close: $1,370/oz. MoM: -8.2%.
• Palladium 5-day trend: ↑ 3 of last 5 sessions.
• Rhodium (Rh): $9,000/oz, down $50.00 (-0.55%) day-over-day. Previous close: $9,050/oz. MoM: -10.0%.
• Rhodium 5-day trend: ↓ 4 of last 5 sessions.

PGM prices are **under pressure today**, with platinum, palladium, and rhodium all down on the day after recent weakness. For scrap sellers, this means converter payouts will feel lighter, even though oil is back on the move up and the dollar is a touch softer, so it may pay to move only the material you need to sell and stay picky on anything you are not forced to ship.

Copper — Current Indicators

• COMEX/Spot Copper: $6.33/lb, down $0.0110 (-0.17%) day-over-day. Previous close: $6.34/lb.
• 5-day trend: ↑ 3 of last 5 sessions.

Copper is still very **strong** at about **$6.33/lb**, even though it slipped by about a penny today and is slightly **down** on the session. With copper up in **3 of the last 5 trading days**, and oil back on the move higher at **$94.54/bbl** while the dollar is a bit softer, scrap sellers are still in a good spot to keep moving material rather than sitting on it.

Aluminum — Current Indicators

• LME Aluminum: $3,640/tonne ($1.65/lb), up +$0.0059 (+0.36%) day-over-day. Previous close: $1.65/lb.
• 5-day trend: ↑ 4 of last 5 sessions.

Aluminum is holding **around $1.65/lb**, up just a hair today, and has moved higher in **4 of the last 5 sessions**. With oil back on the move up and the dollar a bit softer, this slow grind higher suggests scrap sellers can expect slightly better bids, but not a breakout market yet.

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.