SMASH Recycling Morning Metals Report – August 4, 2026

Prices as of August 04, 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 — $4,067/oz ▲
• Silver — $59.52/oz ▲
• PGMs — Rh ▸ $8,250 · Pt ▲ $1,719 · Pd ▲ $1,296
• Copper — $6.65/lb ▲
• Aluminum — $1.47/lb ▲
• Steel Scrap — $413.00/mt ▸
• Macro Backdrop
• CAD — USD/CAD 1.4029

SMASH Recycling Takeaways for Today

• Gold & Silver — With both up today, move clean, well-documented cats and jewelry sooner, but don’t get greedy on hold times.
• PGMs — Platinum and palladium jumping hard while rhodium sits flat: sort and list high-PGM converters now, and use clear photos and serials to attract top bids.
• Copper — At $6.65/lb and still climbing, push bare bright, #1 wire, and clean tubing into auctions today; don’t sit on good copper waiting for a perfect top.
• Aluminum — Up but only by fractions of a cent, so focus on tight segregation and photo documentation to squeeze premiums instead of betting on big price moves.
• Big Picture — 6 of 8 metals higher and steel flat means non‑ferrous sales should be your priority today while you keep ferrous steady and patient.

Macro Backdrop — Energy and Risk

Brent Crude Oil: $81.74/bbl, down $1.84 (-2.20%) day-over-day.

US Dollar Index (DXY): 99.95, down 0.06 (-0.06%) day-over-day.

**Energy is easing, but rates stay high. That mix keeps risk alive.**

Brent sits around **$82**, down a bit more than 2% on the day. Recent FRED data still show Brent and WTI well off late July highs, so fuel pressure on yards is softer, not gone. Higher real 10‑year yields mean gold and silver stay tied to macro risk, not just fear buying.

The U.S. dollar index is flat, but the **real** 10‑year is about **2.5%**, with 2‑ and 10‑year yields both pushing up. Inflation expectations are stable, the Fed rate hasn’t moved, and money supply keeps creeping higher. Net read: energy is less of a headwind this week, but funding costs and macro risk are still there in the background.

Gold — Safe-Haven Indicator

• Spot Gold (XAU): $4,067/oz, up +$14.50 (+0.36%) day-over-day. Previous close: $4,052/oz.
• 5-day trend: ↑ 4 of last 5 sessions.

**Gold is grinding higher again, not spiking — don’t rush your loads, but don’t ignore it either.** Gold is at **$4,067/oz**, up about **0.4%** today and higher in **4 of the last 5 sessions**, while the dollar has slipped and energy prices like Brent at **$81.74/bbl** are easing. With rates still high, this isn’t a panic move, but steady support — you should keep documenting and weighing your cats, boards, and jewelry scrap so you’re ready to move when your local buyer bids line up with this stronger tape.

Silver — Industrial & Precious Hybrid

• Spot Silver (XAG): $59.52/oz, up +$1.37 (+2.36%) day-over-day. Previous close: $58.15/oz.
• 5-day trend: ↑ 4 of last 5 sessions.
• Gold/Silver ratio: 68.3:1.

**Silver is grinding higher again, so buyers can’t ignore your clean, documented loads anymore.** Silver is at **$59.52/oz**, up **2.36%** today and higher in 4 of the last 5 sessions. Gold is still pulling more value, with a gold/silver ratio around **68:1**, but the softer dollar and easing energy costs help support silver bids, not hurt them. If you want buyers to lean in on price, tighten your photos, VINs, and packing lists on cats, cores, and non‑ferrous today.

Precious Metals (PGM) — Screen Indicators

• Platinum (Pt): $1,719/oz, up +$93.00 (+5.72%) day-over-day. Previous close: $1,626/oz. MoM: +6.4%.
• Platinum 5-day trend: ↑ 3 of last 5 sessions.
• Palladium (Pd): $1,296/oz, up +$55.00 (+4.43%) day-over-day. Previous close: $1,241/oz. MoM: +3.7%.
• Palladium 5-day trend: ↑ 3 of last 5 sessions.
• Rhodium (Rh): $8,250/oz, flat day-over-day. Previous close: $8,250/oz. MoM: +1.9%.
• Rhodium 5-day trend: → flat over last 5 sessions.

Platinum and palladium are **both up**, so cat and PGM core loads should see firmer bids today. Platinum is at **$1,719/oz** and palladium at **$1,296/oz**, each up in 3 of the last 5 sessions, while rhodium sits flat at **$8,250/oz**, so you focus on clean documentation and photos to help buyers price the platinum and palladium in your material.

Copper — Current Indicators

• COMEX/Spot Copper: $6.65/lb, up +$0.1125 (+1.72%) day-over-day. Previous close: $6.54/lb.
• 5-day trend: ↑ 5 of last 5 sessions.

**Copper’s paying $6.65/lb today, up about 11 cents and green 5 days in a row.** Dollar is a bit softer and energy is easing, but rates are still high, so this looks more like steady strength than a rush move. If you’ve got clean copper, this is a good time to tighten your sorting and documentation and see what real competition will pay.

Aluminum — Current Indicators

• LME Aluminum: $3,241/tonne ($1.47/lb), up +$0.0071 (+0.49%) day-over-day. Previous close: $1.46/lb.
• 5-day trend: ↑ 5 of last 5 sessions.

Aluminum is **up again at $1.47/lb**, higher in 5 straight sessions as energy costs ease and the dollar softens. Moves are small today – less than a cent – but steady gains and cheaper fuel at $81.74/bbl help support bids, especially on clean, documented 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).

⚠️ Note: Platinum (5.7%) show unusually large day-over-day moves. Illiquid markets (e.g. rhodium) can have wide bid-ask spreads; verify with multiple sources before acting.

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.