SMASH Recycling Morning Metals Report – July 15, 2026

Prices as of July 15, 2026 at 07:30 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 — $4,037/oz ▼
• Silver — $57.90/oz ▼
• PGMs — Rh ▸ $8,100 · Pt ▼ $1,611 · Pd ▼ $1,274
• Copper — $6.38/lb ▲
• Aluminum — $1.43/lb ▼
• Steel Scrap — $413.00/mt ▸
• Macro Backdrop
• CAD — USD/CAD 1.4067

SMASH Recycling Takeaways for Today

• Gold & Silver — Move mixed precious-metal lots now if you have them ready. Gold, silver, platinum, and palladium are all down today, so don’t sit on unpriced material waiting for a bounce.
• PGMs — Hedge the risk and keep your platinum-group lots tight and documented. Rhodium is flat, but platinum and palladium both slipped, so clean separation and photo docs help buyers stay sharp on price.
• Copper — Push clean copper while it still has momentum. Copper is the only metal up today, and that is where buyers are still forced to compete.
• Aluminum — Sort hard and sell clean. Aluminum is down, so mixed or dirty loads get punished faster than segregated grades.
• Big Picture — 1 of 8 metals higher today. 1 higher (Copper ↑); 5 lower (Gold ↓, Silver ↓, Platinum ↓, Palladium ↓, Aluminum ↓); 2 flat (Rhodium →, Steel →).

Macro Backdrop — Energy and Risk

Brent Crude Oil: $84.91/bbl, down $0.5900 (-0.69%) day-over-day.

US Dollar Index (DXY): 101.02, up 0.05 (+0.05%) day-over-day.

**Energy stays firm, rates creep up, risk still high.**

Brent crude sits around **$85**, down about 60 cents, but still rich versus old FRED levels near $70. Oil is off the highs from the Iran shock, but not cheap. That keeps fuel costs and shredder power bills elevated.

The dollar is steady to slightly stronger, with DXY just over **101** and USD/CAD at **1.41**. Yields keep grinding up, with the 10‑year near **4.6%** and real yields over **2%**. That mix supports the dollar, adds pressure on risk assets, and can weigh on gold and silver. Net: energy is expensive, money isn’t cheap, and the macro tape still leans risk-off.

Gold — Safe-Haven Indicator

• Spot Gold (XAU): $4,037/oz, down $11.80 (-0.29%) day-over-day. Previous close: $4,049/oz.
• 5-day trend: ↓ 3 of last 5 sessions.

**Gold is drifting down, not crashing, so treat it like a steady earner, not a fire sale.** Gold sits around **$4,037/oz**, down a bit today and soft in 3 of the last 5 sessions, with stronger dollar and firm energy making the upside harder for now.[2][1] For you, that means keep tracking your cat loads, boards, and jewelry scrap, but don’t panic‑sell—use competitive bids and real spot pricing so you see what buyers are actually willing to pay in this kind of tight, high‑cost market.[4][5]

Silver — Industrial & Precious Hybrid

• Spot Silver (XAG): $57.90/oz, down $0.7565 (-1.29%) day-over-day. Previous close: $58.66/oz.
• 5-day trend: ↓ 3 of last 5 sessions.
• Gold/Silver ratio: 69.7:1.

**Silver slipped again. Don’t let quiet markets make you lazy.** Silver is around **$57.90/oz**, down about **76 cents** today and lower in **3 of the last 5 sessions**. With the **gold/silver ratio near 70:1** and energy still firm, treat silver loads like a bumpy ride—tight grading, clear photos, and competitive auctions will help serious buyers show you real numbers.

Precious Metals (PGM) — Screen Indicators

• Platinum (Pt): $1,611/oz, down $13.00 (-0.80%) day-over-day. Previous close: $1,624/oz. MoM: -8.6%.
• Platinum 5-day trend: ↑ 3 of last 5 sessions.
• Palladium (Pd): $1,274/oz, down $9.00 (-0.70%) day-over-day. Previous close: $1,283/oz. MoM: -3.6%.
• Palladium 5-day trend: ↑ 3 of last 5 sessions.
• Rhodium (Rh): $8,100/oz, flat day-over-day. Previous close: $8,100/oz. MoM: +1.2%.
• Rhodium 5-day trend: ↓ 1 of last 5 sessions.

PGMs are soft today, so sellers should stay sharp. Platinum is **$1,611/oz** and palladium is **$1,274/oz**, both down on the day, while rhodium is flat at **$8,100/oz**. The 5-day bounce in platinum and palladium is not strong enough to ignore the bigger risk, and firm energy near **$84.91/bbl** still keeps costs elevated.

Copper — Current Indicators

• COMEX/Spot Copper: $6.38/lb, up +$0.0115 (+0.18%) day-over-day. Previous close: $6.37/lb.
• 5-day trend: ↑ 4 of last 5 sessions.

**Copper keeps grinding higher, and that’s good news if you’re sitting on clean wire.** Copper is around **$6.38/lb**, up about a cent today and higher in 4 of the last 5 sessions, so buyers are staying active. With energy prices still firm and risk high, your yard costs aren’t going down, so use this steady strength to move clean #1 and bare bright through real competition instead of guessing with one local buyer.

Aluminum — Current Indicators

• LME Aluminum: $3,149/tonne ($1.43/lb), down $0.0118 (-0.82%) day-over-day. Previous close: $1.44/lb.
• 5-day trend: ↑ 3 of last 5 sessions.

**Aluminum slipped today, but it’s still holding up better than a lot of grades.** Aluminum sits around **$1.43/lb**, down about a cent, so buyers may try to push you a little harder on spreads. With energy still firm and the dollar creeping up, expect some pressure, but that 3-up days in the last 5 says you don’t need to panic-dump good, clean segregated 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.