Smash Scrap Morning Metals Report – September 1, 2026

Prices as of September 01, 2026 at 07:32 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 — $4,367/oz ▼
• Silver — $64.74/oz ▼
• PGMs — Rh ▲ $9,050 · Pt ▼ $1,762 · Pd ▼ $1,319
• Copper — $6.60/lb ▼
• Aluminum — $1.48/lb ▲
• Steel Scrap — $413.00/mt ▸
• Macro Backdrop
• CAD — USD/CAD 1.3866

Smash Scrap Takeaways for Today

• Gold & Silver — Use this drop to clean house: move mixed jewelry and low-grade silver now, hold back premium coins and bars until this slide slows.
• PGMs — Cats are losing value fast except for rhodium-heavy units; sort and tag by serial/VIN, then auction PGMs so more buyers can price the basket, not just one.
• Copper — Treat this 9-cent dip as a wake-up call: tighten grades, cut fluff from loads, and run auctions more often so you see where buyers really are.
• Aluminum — With price edging up, bundle clean sheet and extrusions together, photo everything, and push loads to multiple buyers instead of locking into a lazy long-term number.
• Big Picture — Only 2 of 8 metals are up today, so assume buyers come in cautious and use competition, not hope, to set your ask.

Macro Backdrop — Energy and Risk

Brent Crude Oil: $92.19/bbl, up $3.67 (+4.15%) day-over-day.

US Dollar Index (DXY): 99.62, up 0.46 (+0.46%) day-over-day.

**Energy just got more expensive. The dollar is grinding higher. Risk is not “off the table” here.**

Brent ripped back to about **$92**, up over 4% on the day. That’s real money for anyone burning diesel and moving heavy steel. Higher fuel hits freight first, then flows into shred and prepared pricing as yards protect margins.

The dollar is firmer again, with DXY pushing higher and USD/CAD near **1.39**. That keeps import pressure on and can weigh on global metals, even while oil runs. Yields are still elevated, so cash pays something and gold/silver trade against a real 10‑year near **2.4%**. Bottom line: energy up, dollar strong, money not free. Stay tight on BOLs, photos, and grades, because buyers are still watching risk.

Gold — Safe-Haven Indicator

• Spot Gold (XAU): $4,367/oz, down $79.70 (-1.79%) day-over-day. Previous close: $4,447/oz.
• 5-day trend: ↓ 5 of last 5 sessions.

Gold is **dropping again**, now around $4,367/oz and red five days in a row. With the US dollar up and energy costs climbing, a lot of money is leaving gold, so buyers will stay tough on pricing for boards, jewelry, and gold-bearing scrap. If you’re shipping, expect more questions, more paperwork, and tighter grading before anyone pays up.

Silver — Industrial & Precious Hybrid

• Spot Silver (XAG): $64.74/oz, down $1.81 (-2.72%) day-over-day. Previous close: $66.56/oz.
• 5-day trend: ↓ 3 of last 5 sessions.
• Gold/Silver ratio: 67.5:1.

**Silver is still bleeding.** It’s down to **$64.74/oz**, off **2.72%** today, and the 5-day trend is **down 3 of the last 5 sessions**. A stronger dollar and pricier energy are weighing on the tape, so scrap sellers should expect tighter buyer bids on silver-bearing loads unless the metal is clean and well documented.

Precious Metals (PGM) — Screen Indicators

• Platinum (Pt): $1,762/oz, down $28.00 (-1.56%) day-over-day. Previous close: $1,790/oz. MoM: +7.2%.
• Platinum 5-day trend: ↓ 4 of last 5 sessions.
• Palladium (Pd): $1,319/oz, down $26.00 (-1.93%) day-over-day. Previous close: $1,345/oz. MoM: +5.0%.
• Palladium 5-day trend: ↓ 3 of last 5 sessions.
• Rhodium (Rh): $9,050/oz, up +$50.00 (+0.56%) day-over-day. Previous close: $9,000/oz. MoM: +9.7%.
• Rhodium 5-day trend: ↑ 4 of last 5 sessions.

**PGMs are split today: platinum and palladium are leaking, rhodium is still grinding higher.** For scrap sellers, cats with more **platinum/palladium** will feel softer as both metals are down again and in a short-term downtrend. Rhodium is the bright spot, with prices ticking up and most recent sessions green, but with energy more expensive and the dollar firm, expect buyers to stay picky and lean hard on your documentation and grading.

Copper — Current Indicators

• COMEX/Spot Copper: $6.60/lb, down $0.0935 (-1.40%) day-over-day. Previous close: $6.69/lb.
• 5-day trend: ↓ 3 of last 5 sessions.

**Copper is slipping, not crashing.** Copper is about **$6.60/lb**, down around 9 cents today and weak in 3 of the last 5 sessions. With the **U.S. dollar stronger** and Brent crude near **$92/bbl**, your yard costs more to run while copper checks back a bit.

Aluminum — Current Indicators

• LME Aluminum: $3,271/tonne ($1.48/lb), up +$0.0116 (+0.79%) day-over-day. Previous close: $1.47/lb.
• 5-day trend: ↑ 3 of last 5 sessions.

Aluminum is up today at **$1.48/lb**, about a cent higher, and has risen in 3 of the last 5 sessions. Energy just got more expensive and Brent is at **$92.19/bbl**, so watch your yard costs, but this slow grind up in aluminum still supports steady moves on clean non‑ferrous loads.

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.