SMASH Recycling Morning Metals Report – July 31, 2026

Prices as of July 31, 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 — $4,051/oz ▼
• Silver — $57.65/oz ▼
• PGMs — Rh ▸ $8,250 · Pt ▼ $1,632 · Pd ▼ $1,268
• Copper — $6.49/lb ▼
• Aluminum — $1.44/lb ▼
• Steel Scrap — $413.00/mt ▸
• Macro Backdrop
• CAD — USD/CAD 1.4014

SMASH Recycling Takeaways for Today

• Gold & Silver — With both down today, don’t rush big precious loads; tighten documentation and shop cats harder before you ship.
• PGMs — Platinum and palladium are sliding while rhodium is flat; expect picky buyers, so bundle cats, cores, and photos to land firm bids.
• Copper — Price dipped but not by much; if yards near you are quiet, hold cleaner copper a bit longer and push mixed loads now.
• Aluminum — Another small drop; focus on clean, separated aluminum and use inventory tools and photo proof to keep buyers competing.
• Big Picture — All 6 tracked metals are lower and 2 are flat, so treat today as a price-check day, not a panic-sell day.

Macro Backdrop — Energy and Risk

Brent Crude Oil: $90.36/bbl, up $0.9100 (+1.02%) day-over-day.

US Dollar Index (DXY): 100.36, down 1.16 (-1.14%) day-over-day.

**Oil is back above $90. Energy is getting more expensive again.**

Brent is trading around **$90/bbl and up 1%**, so fuel and processing costs are creeping higher for your loads.[1][9] At the same time, the **U.S. dollar index slipped**, while **USD/CAD sits near 1.40**, which can make U.S. scrap a bit more attractive to foreign buyers but cuts both ways if you’re moving material across the border.[9][18]

On the risk side, the **10-year yield is pushing 4.7%** while short rates sit lower, showing a market still pricing in tight money and some inflation risk. Real yields are firmly positive, which tends to cap gold and silver, but it also signals investors want more return to hold risk, which can keep volatility elevated across metals.

Gold — Safe-Haven Indicator

• Spot Gold (XAU): $4,051/oz, down $59.00 (-1.44%) day-over-day. Previous close: $4,110/oz.
• 5-day trend: ↑ 3 of last 5 sessions.

**Gold’s still rich, but today it’s giving a little back.** Spot gold is around **$4,051/oz**, down about **1.4%** on the day, even though it’s been up in **3 of the last 5 sessions**. Oil is back above **$90/bbl**, and the weaker dollar helps, but strong interest rates are still capping upside, so expect buyers to stay tight and picky on gold cats, jewelry, and other scrap loads.

Silver — Industrial & Precious Hybrid

• Spot Silver (XAG): $57.65/oz, down $1.45 (-2.45%) day-over-day. Previous close: $59.10/oz.
• 5-day trend: ↑ 3 of last 5 sessions.
• Gold/Silver ratio: 70.3:1.

**Silver is soft today, but the tape is still holding up.** Spot is **$57.65/oz**, down **2.45%**, yet it has still closed higher in **3 of the last 5 sessions**[3]. For scrap sellers, that means buyers may stay picky, but clean, well-documented silver loads still get the best look, especially with gold-to-silver at **70.3:1** and oil back above **$90**[3].

Precious Metals (PGM) — Screen Indicators

• Platinum (Pt): $1,632/oz, down $22.00 (-1.33%) day-over-day. Previous close: $1,654/oz. MoM: +5.6%.
• Platinum 5-day trend: ↑ 3 of last 5 sessions.
• Palladium (Pd): $1,268/oz, down $32.00 (-2.46%) day-over-day. Previous close: $1,300/oz. MoM: +6.2%.
• Palladium 5-day trend: ↑ 3 of last 5 sessions.
• Rhodium (Rh): $8,250/oz, flat day-over-day. Previous close: $8,250/oz. MoM: +6.5%.
• Rhodium 5-day trend: → flat over last 5 sessions.

**PGM prices are still strong, but today’s tone is softer, so buyers stay picky.** Platinum and palladium are both down a bit, while rhodium is holding flat, so you should expect tighter bids on cats and PGM scrap. With oil back above $90, your trucking and processing costs aren’t going down, so it pays to know your material and shop real competition before you move big PGM loads.

Copper — Current Indicators

• COMEX/Spot Copper: $6.49/lb, down $0.0155 (-0.24%) day-over-day. Previous close: $6.50/lb.
• 5-day trend: ↑ 3 of last 5 sessions.

**Copper’s still rich, even with today’s tiny dip.** Copper is around **$6.49/lb**, down about **2 cents** on the day, but it’s held gains in **3 of the last 5 sessions**. With oil back over $90 and the dollar easing, yards should still expect strong but choppy copper bids, so price your bare bright and #1 loads with that in mind.

Aluminum — Current Indicators

• LME Aluminum: $3,170/tonne ($1.44/lb), down $0.0109 (-0.75%) day-over-day. Previous close: $1.45/lb.
• 5-day trend: ↑ 3 of last 5 sessions.

**Aluminum slipped about a cent to $1.44/lb today, but it’s still holding near recent levels.** Prices are down about 0.75% on the day, but aluminum has moved up in 3 of the last 5 sessions, and with oil back over $90 and the dollar easing, most yards should treat this as a small wobble, not a trend change.

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.