SMASH Recycling Morning Metals Report – April 24, 2026

Prices as of April 24, 2026 at 12:30 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 — $4,713/oz ▲
• Silver — $76.06/oz ▲
• PGMs — Rh ▸ $10,150 · Pt ▼ $1,995 · Pd ▲ $1,471
• Copper — $6.03/lb ▼
• Aluminum — $1.64/lb ▼
• Steel Scrap — $413.00/mt ▸
• Macro Backdrop
• CAD — USD/CAD 1.3688

SMASH Recycling Takeaways for Today

• Gold & Silver — Lock in gains now. Gold up 0.40% and silver up 0.83%. These small moves follow yesterday's weakness. Sell any premium scrap (dental, jewelry) while buyers are bidding. Don't wait for bigger rallies that may not come.
• PGMs — Mixed signals, stay cautious. Palladium jumped 1.24%, but platinum dropped 0.40%. Rhodium flat. Hold palladium scrap if you have it. Platinum sellers should wait—yesterday's 2.2% drop may create better opportunities soon.
• Copper — Sell slowly, don't panic. Down just 0.07% today after yesterday's 1.0% drop. This is consolidation, not a crash. Copper is worth holding for industrial strength. Break your sales into smaller lots over the next few days rather than dumping all at once.
• Aluminum — Wait for stabilization. Down 0.37% today. Yesterday I predicted further weakness, and the trend confirms it. Hold most scrap. Small sales only if you need cash now. Better entry points likely in the next 3–5 days.
• Big Picture — Market is mixed but not panicking. Three metals up, three down, two flat. No major directional shift. Buyers are still active. Sellers should be selective rather than aggressive.

Macro Backdrop — Energy and Risk

Brent Crude Oil: $98.58/bbl, down $8.07 (-7.57%) day-over-day.

**Macro Backdrop — Energy and Risk**

Brent crude oil fell to $98.58 per barrel, down $8.07 or 7.57%.[Data] This drop eases some cost pressure on scrap processing and steel making, but energy markets stay shaky from Middle East tensions.[5] USD/CAD sits at 1.3688, supporting U.S. scrap exports to Canada.

**Risk up a bit.** The 10-year Treasury yield holds at 4.30%, inflation expectations rose to 2.42%, and auto production dropped to 102.63.[Data] Indian stocks sank on crude spikes above $100 earlier, hinting at global nerves that could slow metals demand.[1] Watch for more war news to stir volatility in scrap flows.

Gold — Safe-Haven Indicator

• Spot Gold (XAU): $4,713/oz, up +$18.67 (+0.40%) day-over-day. Previous close: $4,694/oz.
• 5-day trend: ↑ 3 of last 5 sessions.

**Gold** hit $4,713 per ounce, up $18.67 or 0.40% today with gains in 3 of the last 5 sessions. Brent crude oil fell to $98.58 per barrel, easing some costs for scrap processing that helps the market stay steady. Scrap sellers should hold for now as prices trend up.

Silver — Industrial & Precious Hybrid

• Spot Silver (XAG): $76.06/oz, up +$0.6270 (+0.83%) day-over-day. Previous close: $75.44/oz.
• 5-day trend: ↓ 3 of last 5 sessions.
• Gold/Silver ratio: 62.0:1.

**Silver** hit $76.06 per ounce today, up 63 cents or 0.83% from yesterday. This gain came even as prices fell in three of the last five sessions, with the gold-to-silver ratio at 62:1. Hold your scrap silver for now—lower oil at $98.58 per barrel eases processing costs, but shaky energy markets from Middle East tensions keep prices supported.[1]

Precious Metals (PGM) — Screen Indicators

• Platinum (Pt): $1,995/oz, down $8.00 (-0.40%) day-over-day. Previous close: $2,003/oz. MoM: +3.6%.
• Platinum 5-day trend: ↓ 4 of last 5 sessions.
• Palladium (Pd): $1,471/oz, up +$18.00 (+1.24%) day-over-day. Previous close: $1,453/oz. MoM: +5.3%.
• Palladium 5-day trend: ↑ 3 of last 5 sessions.
• Rhodium (Rh): $10,150/oz, flat day-over-day. Previous close: $10,150/oz. MoM: -6.0%.
• Rhodium 5-day trend: ↑ 1 of last 5 sessions.

PGM prices are mixed today, with palladium up 1.24% and platinum down slightly, while rhodium holds steady.[Data] The good news for scrap sellers is that higher PGM prices overall are bringing recyclers back to work—scrapyards that hoarded converters during the low-price period from 2022 to 2024 are now selling again, which means more competition and faster processing for your material.[2][7] Get quotes from multiple buyers since converter payouts typically range from 25% to 35% of spot prices after refining costs, and watch for direct refinery connections that could boost your returns.[3]

Copper — Current Indicators

• COMEX/Spot Copper: $6.03/lb, down $0.0040 (-0.07%) day-over-day. Previous close: $6.03/lb.
• 5-day trend: ↓ 4 of last 5 sessions.

**Copper is holding steady near $6.03 per pound, down just a fraction today as energy costs ease with oil dropping to $98.58 a barrel.**[1][4] The scrap copper market stays strong overall—the U.S. market is growing at 5.3% annually and reached $713 million in 2025—so this small dip is normal noise in a healthy market.[1] Sellers should watch for stability before making large moves, since recent sessions show more down days than up, but the long-term trend favors copper with demand climbing from electric vehicles and renewable energy projects.[1]

Aluminum — Current Indicators

• LME Aluminum: $3,606/tonne ($1.64/lb), down $0.0060 (-0.37%) day-over-day. Previous close: $1.64/lb.
• 5-day trend: ↓ 4 of last 5 sessions.

**Aluminum scrap prices fell to $1.64 per pound today**, down less than a cent or 0.37% from yesterday, with prices dropping in 4 of the last 5 sessions. Brent crude oil's drop to $98.58 per barrel eases some costs for scrap processing. Scrap sellers should hold steady as the market finds its footing around this level.

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 Recycling and let vetted Canadian buyers compete for your scrap.