SMASH Recycling Morning Metals Report – April 30, 2026

Prices as of April 30, 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 — $4,630/oz ▲
• Silver — $73.75/oz ▲
• PGMs — Rh ▸ $10,000 · Pt ▲ $1,954 · Pd ▲ $1,476
• Copper — $5.95/lb ▲
• Aluminum — $1.58/lb ▼
• Steel Scrap — $413.00/mt ▸
• Macro Backdrop
• CAD — USD/CAD 1.3682

SMASH Recycling Takeaways for Today

• Gold & Silver — Sell gold and silver scrap today while prices rise 1.82% and 3.00% to lock in gains before any pullback.
• PGMs — Hold platinum and palladium scrap as they jump 4.21% and 2.36%, with rhodium flat at $10,000/oz amid rebounding catalytic demand.
• Copper — Sell copper scrap now at $5.95/lb, up 1.22%, to capture momentum in this volatile market.
• Aluminum — Sell aluminum scrap quickly at $1.58/lb before further drops, as it falls 0.13% with weak demand signals.
• Big Picture — With 5 of 8 metals higher today, push sales on rising metals to build cash reserves.

Macro Backdrop — Energy and Risk

Brent Crude Oil: $102.18/bbl, down $9.97 (-8.89%) day-over-day.

# Macro Backdrop — Energy and Risk

Oil prices fell sharply overnight, with Brent crude down nearly $10/barrel to $102.18 as global supply concerns ease.[1] The broader energy market shows mixed signals: natural gas and heating oil are down slightly, but gold weakness suggests investors are less worried about inflation, which typically supports metals prices.[5] Higher interest rates from central banks responding to sticky inflation are weighing on all commodities, especially non-yielding assets like precious metals.[5]

Geopolitical risks remain a wild card for energy markets.[4] The UAE's exit from OPEC has added uncertainty to production strategies, though the group is expected to survive the disruption.[*] For scrap metal recyclers, lower oil costs mean cheaper collection and processing, but the deflationary pressure cutting energy prices could also squeeze industrial demand and metal values in the weeks ahead. Watch for any new supply shocks in the Middle East—they tend to spike energy costs quickly and shock commodity markets broadly.

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**Note on sources:** Search results [1] and [5] provide current commodity price data and energy market commentary. Result [4] (BMO Economics, July 2025) offers context on energy volatility and OPEC+ dynamics. The asterisk (*) indicates the UAE/OPEC headline from your news feed, which aligns with recent reporting but lacks detailed sourcing in the

Gold — Safe-Haven Indicator

• Spot Gold (XAU): $4,630/oz, up +$82.59 (+1.82%) day-over-day. Previous close: $4,548/oz.
• 5-day trend: ↓ 3 of last 5 sessions.

Gold scrap prices rose today to **$4,630 per ounce**, up **$82.59** or **1.82%**. Even with oil prices falling to $102.18 per barrel as supply worries ease, gold gained as investors eye inflation risks amid higher interest rates. Scrap sellers and recyclers should sell now while prices trend up despite three down days in the last five.[1][2][3]

Silver — Industrial & Precious Hybrid

• Spot Silver (XAG): $73.75/oz, up +$2.15 (+3.00%) day-over-day. Previous close: $71.60/oz.
• 5-day trend: ↑ 3 of last 5 sessions.
• Gold/Silver ratio: 62.8:1.

**Silver** hit $73.75 per ounce today, up $2.15 or 3% from yesterday, with gains in 3 of the last 5 days.[data] Oil prices fell to $102.18 per barrel as supply worries ease, and gold weakness shows less fear of inflation, but strong industrial needs like solar panels and EVs keep pushing **silver** higher.[1][macro] Scrap sellers face refining delays and low buy offers on junk silver, so hold steady and shop yards carefully instead of rushing to sell.[4][5]

Precious Metals (PGM) — Screen Indicators

• Platinum (Pt): $1,954/oz, up +$79.00 (+4.21%) day-over-day. Previous close: $1,875/oz. MoM: -0.1%.
• Platinum 5-day trend: ↓ 3 of last 5 sessions.
• Palladium (Pd): $1,476/oz, up +$34.00 (+2.36%) day-over-day. Previous close: $1,442/oz. MoM: +0.3%.
• Palladium 5-day trend: ↓ 3 of last 5 sessions.
• Rhodium (Rh): $10,000/oz, flat day-over-day. Previous close: $10,000/oz. MoM: -3.9%.
• Rhodium 5-day trend: ↓ 2 of last 5 sessions.

**PGM prices rose today**, with platinum up 4.21% to $1,954/oz and palladium up 2.36% to $1,476/oz, while rhodium stayed flat at $10,000/oz. These gains come despite falling oil prices to $102.18/bbl as supply worries ease, making it a good time for scrap sellers to cash in on stronger payouts from catalytic converters before any short-term dips in the 5-day trend. Higher prices boost recycling flows, so sell now while the market supports it.[3][5]

Copper — Current Indicators

• COMEX/Spot Copper: $5.95/lb, up +$0.0715 (+1.22%) day-over-day. Previous close: $5.88/lb.
• 5-day trend: ↓ 4 of last 5 sessions.

Copper scrap is holding steady at **$5.95 per pound**, up about 7 cents today as energy costs ease and manufacturing demand stays strong[8]. The easing supply concerns that pushed oil down are creating a calmer market for metals, which is good news for sellers—analysts expect copper to keep this momentum through early 2026 as infrastructure and renewable energy projects continue driving demand[7][5].

Aluminum — Current Indicators

• LME Aluminum: $3,477/tonne ($1.58/lb), down $0.0021 (-0.13%) day-over-day. Previous close: $1.58/lb.
• 5-day trend: ↓ 5 of last 5 sessions.

**Aluminum prices dipped slightly today to $1.58/lb as oil prices fell sharply, easing energy concerns that typically support metals.**[8] The long-term outlook remains strong—the market is projected to grow to $48.6 billion by 2030 as automakers and construction companies buy more recycled aluminum to meet sustainability goals.[1] Scrap sellers should watch for price stability, though the 5-day downtrend suggests holding rather than rushing to sell right now.

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.