SMASH Recycling Morning Metals Report – June 18, 2026

Prices as of June 18, 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 — $4,249/oz ▼
• Silver — $66.96/oz ▼
• PGMs — Rh ▸ $8,000 · Pt ▼ $1,706 · Pd ▼ $1,270
• Copper — $6.39/lb ▲
• Aluminum — $1.54/lb ▼
• Steel Scrap — $413.00/mt ▸
• Macro Backdrop
• CAD — USD/CAD 1.4034

SMASH Recycling Takeaways for Today

• Gold & Silver — With both drifting lower, don’t rush big sales; move only clean, well‑documented lots where you’ve already got strong bids.
• PGMs — With platinum and palladium off over 2% and rhodium flat, hold good cats if you can and only ship space‑hogging or weaker material.
• Copper — Copper’s the lone gainer today; lean into it by loading and moving clean #1, #2, and bare bright while bids are firm.
• Aluminum — My last “push it out” call missed the pullback; with price slipping again, avoid dumping clean segregated aluminum unless you need the space.
• Big Picture — 1 of 8 metals higher, 5 lower, 2 flat: sell into copper strength, be picky and patient on everything else.

Macro Backdrop — Energy and Risk

Brent Crude Oil: $78.39/bbl, down $0.5800 (-0.73%) day-over-day.

US Dollar Index (DXY): 100.69, up 1.06 (+1.06%) day-over-day.

**Energy is softer, but the dollar is flexing. That mix keeps risk on the table for metals.**

Brent is around **$78**, down about **0.7%**, so fuel pressure on yards eases a bit, but it also hints at slower demand. A strong **U.S. dollar** (DXY near **101**) and **USD/CAD at 1.40+** make exports tougher and put a headwind on dollar-priced metals.

On the macro side, the **10Y at ~4.4%** and **2Y just over 4%** say rates are still tight, even if bond yields slipped. Inflation expectations are around **2.3%**, so real yields stay high and that has been a drag on gold and silver. For scrap, this setup still favors **caution on risk** and **selective selling**, not chasing every bounce.

Gold — Safe-Haven Indicator

• Spot Gold (XAU): $4,249/oz, down $10.92 (-0.26%) day-over-day. Previous close: $4,260/oz.
• 5-day trend: ↓ 3 of last 5 sessions.

**Gold is taking a breather, not crashing.** Gold is around **$4,249/oz**, down a touch today and lower in **3 of the last 5 sessions** as the **stronger US dollar** leans on prices.[2] Energy is softer and the dollar is flexing, so scrap buyers may shade bids, but high prices still make it a good time to move clean, sorted gold if you’re not trying to time the top.[2][3]

Silver — Industrial & Precious Hybrid

• Spot Silver (XAG): $66.96/oz, down $0.9765 (-1.44%) day-over-day. Previous close: $67.94/oz.
• 5-day trend: ↑ 3 of last 5 sessions.
• Gold/Silver ratio: 63.5:1.

**Silver is taking a breather today, not crashing.** Silver sits around **$66.96/oz**, down about **98 cents (‑1.4%)** on the day, even though it’s been **up in 3 of the last 5 sessions**.[6][1] With the **U.S. dollar flexing and energy softer**, some money is stepping back from metals, and the **gold/silver ratio near 63.5:1** says gold still has the edge, so expect buyers to be a bit pickier on your silver loads.[6][4]

Precious Metals (PGM) — Screen Indicators

• Platinum (Pt): $1,706/oz, down $36.00 (-2.07%) day-over-day. Previous close: $1,742/oz. MoM: -11.3%.
• Platinum 5-day trend: ↓ 3 of last 5 sessions.
• Palladium (Pd): $1,270/oz, down $32.00 (-2.46%) day-over-day. Previous close: $1,302/oz. MoM: -5.5%.
• Palladium 5-day trend: ↓ 3 of last 5 sessions.
• Rhodium (Rh): $8,000/oz, flat day-over-day. Previous close: $8,000/oz. MoM: -17.9%.
• Rhodium 5-day trend: → flat over last 5 sessions.

**PGM prices are soft today, and the strong dollar is leaning on your converter values.** Platinum and palladium are both down a couple percent, so expect tighter bids on most cats and PGM-bearing scrap. Rhodium is flat at a high level, but with energy softer and the dollar flexing, buyers have the upper hand unless you make them compete.

Copper — Current Indicators

• COMEX/Spot Copper: $6.39/lb, up +$0.0185 (+0.29%) day-over-day. Previous close: $6.38/lb.
• 5-day trend: ↑ 4 of last 5 sessions.

**Copper is firm at $6.39/lb, up about 2 cents today.** The move is small, but it has closed higher in 4 of the last 5 sessions, so the tape still has a bid. With energy softer and the dollar stronger, scrap sellers should not chase a big spike here.

Aluminum — Current Indicators

• LME Aluminum: $3,404/tonne ($1.54/lb), down $0.0082 (-0.53%) day-over-day. Previous close: $1.55/lb.
• 5-day trend: ↑ 3 of last 5 sessions.

**Aluminum is taking a small breather, not falling apart.** Aluminum is around **$1.54/lb**, down less than a cent today, after rising in **3 of the last 5 sessions**, so the trend is still gently up even with this dip.[5] A stronger U.S. dollar and softer energy are keeping a lid on big moves, so as a seller, expect steady but not exciting bids and use this level to move clean, sorted loads rather than waiting for a big pop.

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.