SMASH Recycling Morning Metals Report – August 19, 2026

Prices as of August 19, 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 — $4,369/oz ▲
• Silver — $63.80/oz ▲
• PGMs — Rh ▸ $8,800 · Pt ▲ $1,733 · Pd ▲ $1,274
• Copper — $6.43/lb ▼
• Aluminum — $1.46/lb ▼
• Steel Scrap — $413.00/mt ▸
• Macro Backdrop
• CAD — USD/CAD 1.3889

SMASH Recycling Takeaways for Today

• Gold & Silver — Pull and separate precious-bearing scrap now. With both higher, buyers are paying more attention to clean lots, so don’t bury gold or silver content in mixed material.
• PGMs — Hold your catalytic converter and PGM-rich material tight if you can. Platinum and palladium are up, and the market is rewarding clean, documented lots more than sloppy ones.
• Copper — Don’t dump weak copper loads for the sake of a fast turn. Price is softer, so strip the wire, clean the cores, and cut out the low-grade junk before you sell.
• Aluminum — Clean up your aluminum before it leaves the yard. A small down move can punish dirty loads, so separate cast, sheet, and mixed more carefully.
• Big Picture — 4 of 8 metals are higher today, but copper and aluminum are softer, so sell clean and document everything.

Macro Backdrop — Energy and Risk

Brent Crude Oil: $91.35/bbl, up $0.0400 (+0.04%) day-over-day.

US Dollar Index (DXY): 99.38, down 0.29 (-0.29%) day-over-day.

**Energy is firm, but big picture risk still leans cautious.**

Brent holds above **$91**, barely higher on the day, but still pricey fuel for shredder and trucking costs. Crude staying in the **$90s** keeps pressure on yard operating expenses and makes every missed cat and core hurt more.

The **10-year at 4.72%** and real yield above **2%** show money is not cheap and risk is priced tight. The dollar index is softer, but rate and inflation expectations are steady, not flashing panic or easing. Net read: energy costs stay a headwind, and the macro tape still tells you to manage risk, not chase it.

Gold — Safe-Haven Indicator

• Spot Gold (XAU): $4,369/oz, up +$36.50 (+0.84%) day-over-day. Previous close: $4,333/oz.
• 5-day trend: ↑ 3 of last 5 sessions.

**Gold is still grinding higher, but this is not a chase market.** At **$4,369/oz**, gold is up **$36.50** today and has closed higher in **3 of the last 5 sessions**, but the move still fits a cautious macro tone, not a runaway one. For scrap sellers and recyclers, that means watch the tape, keep inventory clean, and use the rally for price discovery — not hope.

Silver — Industrial & Precious Hybrid

• Spot Silver (XAG): $63.80/oz, up +$0.6225 (+0.99%) day-over-day. Previous close: $63.17/oz.
• 5-day trend: ↑ 3 of last 5 sessions.
• Gold/Silver ratio: 68.5:1.

**Silver is grinding higher, but this is still a cautious market for you.** Silver is up to about **$63.80/oz**, roughly 62 cents higher today, with 3 up days in the last week and a gold/silver ratio near **68.5**, so it’s firm but not running hot yet. With fuel costs still high and the dollar easing a bit, this move helps your cats and non-ferrous loads, but it’s more about better price discovery than a big bull run.

Precious Metals (PGM) — Screen Indicators

• Platinum (Pt): $1,733/oz, up +$29.00 (+1.70%) day-over-day. Previous close: $1,704/oz. MoM: +9.3%.
• Platinum 5-day trend: ↑ 3 of last 5 sessions.
• Palladium (Pd): $1,274/oz, up +$7.00 (+0.55%) day-over-day. Previous close: $1,267/oz. MoM: +3.0%.
• Palladium 5-day trend: ↑ 3 of last 5 sessions.
• Rhodium (Rh): $8,800/oz, flat day-over-day. Previous close: $8,800/oz. MoM: +7.3%.
• Rhodium 5-day trend: ↑ 1 of last 5 sessions.

Platinum and palladium are both **up**, with steady gains in 3 of the last 5 sessions, so PGM scrap is a bit tighter today. Platinum at **$1,733/oz** and palladium at **$1,274/oz** mean cats with strong loadings look a bit better, but rhodium holding flat near **$8,800/oz** and firm fuel costs still argue for cautious, selective selling instead of dumping every core.

Copper — Current Indicators

• COMEX/Spot Copper: $6.43/lb, down $0.0225 (-0.35%) day-over-day. Previous close: $6.45/lb.
• 5-day trend: ↓ 3 of last 5 sessions.

**Copper’s soft today, but not falling apart.** Copper is around **$6.43/lb**, down about **2 cents** on the day, with prices slipping in **3 of the last 5** sessions. Energy costs stay firm with Brent near **$91/bbl**, so your shredder and trucking still burn pricey fuel even as copper edges lower.

Aluminum — Current Indicators

• LME Aluminum: $3,210/tonne ($1.46/lb), down $0.0031 (-0.21%) day-over-day. Previous close: $1.46/lb.
• 5-day trend: ↓ 3 of last 5 sessions.

**Aluminum is a touch softer today, but not enough to change your game.** Aluminum sits around **$1.46/lb**, down less than a cent, with prices slipping in **3 of the last 5 sessions**. Short term, that’s mild pressure, but with the dollar easing and Brent still up near **$91/bbl**, your fuel stays pricey, so you still need clean, well-documented aluminum loads to stand out and get real bids.

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.