SMASH Recycling Morning Metals Report – August 18, 2026

Prices as of August 18, 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 — $4,393/oz ▼
• Silver — $65.15/oz ▼
• PGMs — Rh ▸ $8,800 · Pt ▼ $1,748 · Pd ▼ $1,303
• Copper — $6.55/lb ▼
• Aluminum — $1.47/lb ▼
• Steel Scrap — $413.00/mt ▸
• Macro Backdrop
• CAD — USD/CAD 1.3865

SMASH Recycling Takeaways for Today

• Gold & Silver — Prices are easing, so don’t rush big sales; move only clean, high-grade lots where buyers are still paying up.
• PGMs — With platinum and palladium down but rhodium flat, hold decent cats for the next auction cycle and only move weak core loads now.
• Copper — Tape is still soft; keep mixed and partial copper loads back, and only ship tight, well-sorted cats and wire.
• Aluminum — Price dipped again; strip contamination and upgrade grades before you sell, or you’ll eat bigger discounts on dirty loads.
• Big Picture — All 6 majors are lower, 2 flat, so run tighter offers today and let buyers chase instead of you chasing them.

Macro Backdrop — Energy and Risk

Brent Crude Oil: $91.23/bbl, up $0.0200 (+0.02%) day-over-day.

US Dollar Index (DXY): 99.63, down 0.33 (-0.33%) day-over-day.

**Oil stays firm, dollar slips. Risk tone is mixed, not calm.**

Brent is holding around **$91**, barely changed, but still high enough to keep diesel and freight costs tight. The U.S. dollar index is softer and USD/CAD sits near **1.39**, so FX isn’t giving you much of a break on import or export flows.

Yields keep grinding up, with the **10‑year near 4.7%** and real yields above **2.4%**, which is usually a headwind for gold and risk assets. Fed rate is steady, but higher yields and steady inflation expectations say money stays tight, and credit-sensitive yards should keep a close eye on working capital and BOL-to-cash timing.

Gold — Safe-Haven Indicator

• Spot Gold (XAU): $4,393/oz, down $21.10 (-0.48%) day-over-day. Previous close: $4,414/oz.
• 5-day trend: ↑ 3 of last 5 sessions.

**Gold is still hot, but today’s dip tells sellers not to chase the top.** At **$4,393/oz**, gold is down **$21.10**, yet the **5-day trend is up in 3 of the last 5 sessions**, so the tape is still firm for clean lots and documented inventory. With the **dollar slipping** and **oil staying firm**, buyers still have reasons to stay active, but mixed material can get picked apart fast.

Silver — Industrial & Precious Hybrid

• Spot Silver (XAG): $65.15/oz, down $0.5815 (-0.88%) day-over-day. Previous close: $65.73/oz.
• 5-day trend: ↑ 3 of last 5 sessions.
• Gold/Silver ratio: 67.4:1.

**Silver slips today, but the tape still leans firm.** Silver is around **$65.15/oz**, down about **58 cents** on the day, even though oil stays firm and the dollar is softer, which usually helps metals. For you, that means no rush to blow out clean silver loads, but don’t expect every buyer to chase — use photos, packing lists, and VIN/serial tracking on SMASH so the serious guys can bid with confidence.

Precious Metals (PGM) — Screen Indicators

• Platinum (Pt): $1,748/oz, down $21.00 (-1.19%) day-over-day. Previous close: $1,769/oz. MoM: +9.9%.
• Platinum 5-day trend: ↑ 3 of last 5 sessions.
• Palladium (Pd): $1,303/oz, down $6.00 (-0.46%) day-over-day. Previous close: $1,309/oz. MoM: +5.9%.
• Palladium 5-day trend: ↑ 3 of last 5 sessions.
• Rhodium (Rh): $8,800/oz, flat day-over-day. Previous close: $8,800/oz. MoM: +6.7%.
• Rhodium 5-day trend: ↑ 2 of last 5 sessions.

**PGMs are mixed, but the tape is still alive.** Platinum is down to $1,748, palladium is at $1,303, and rhodium is flat at $8,800. The 5-day trend is still positive for platinum and palladium, so clean, documented lots can still draw interest, especially with oil firm and the dollar softer.

Copper — Current Indicators

• COMEX/Spot Copper: $6.55/lb, down $0.0585 (-0.89%) day-over-day. Previous close: $6.61/lb.
• 5-day trend: ↓ 3 of last 5 sessions.

**Copper is slipping, and buyers see it.** Copper is down to about **$6.55/lb**, off roughly six cents, with 3 of the last 5 sessions red. Oil stays firm and the dollar is softer, but that isn’t lifting copper today, so expect buyers to stay picky on mixed cats and partial loads.

Aluminum — Current Indicators

• LME Aluminum: $3,233/tonne ($1.47/lb), down $0.0118 (-0.80%) day-over-day. Previous close: $1.48/lb.
• 5-day trend: ↓ 3 of last 5 sessions.

Aluminum is **slipping**, not crashing. Price is around **$1.47/lb**, down about a cent, with 3 of the last 5 sessions red. Oil stays firm and the dollar is softer, but that tailwind is not showing up in your check yet. For now, expect tight spreads and buyers staying picky on dirty or mixed aluminum 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 Recycling and let vetted Canadian buyers compete for your scrap.