SMASH Recycling Morning Metals Report – May 14, 2026

Prices as of May 14, 2026 at 12:30 PM UTC.

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.

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• Gold — $4,698/oz ▲
• Silver — $86.76/oz ▼
• PGMs — Rh ▸ $9,975 · Pt ▼ $2,133 · Pd ▼ $1,479
• Copper — $6.64/lb ▲
• Aluminum — $1.66/lb ▲
• Steel Scrap — $413.00/mt ▸
• Macro Backdrop
• CAD — USD/CAD 1.3703

SMASH Recycling Takeaways for Today

• Gold & Silver — Gold is flat and holding steady. Silver is slipping down 1.3%. Skip silver sales today and wait for a bounce. Gold sellers can move inventory without urgency.
• PGMs — Platinum and palladium both fell slightly today. Rhodium held flat. Wait for stronger prices before selling your platinum and palladium scrap. No rush today.
• Copper — Small gains of about 1 cent per pound. Good time to consider selling copper if you have material ready. Momentum is weak but positive.
• Aluminum — Slight uptick of less than half a cent per pound. Hold aluminum for now. Price movement is too small to justify selling costs today.
• Big Picture — Most metals are down or flat. This is a quiet, cautious market. Sellers should be patient and wait for stronger buying signals before moving large volumes.

Macro Backdrop — Energy and Risk

Brent Crude Oil: $103.94/bbl, down $1.50 (-1.42%) day-over-day.

### Macro Backdrop — Energy and Risk

Brent Crude Oil fell $1.50 to $103.94 per barrel, down 1.42% day-over-day. This dip eases shipping costs for scrap haulers from Detroit to Houston. Lower diesel prices help yard margins after weeks of high energy bills tied to Middle East tensions.

Rising 10-year Treasury yields at 4.46% signal hotter inflation worries, with CPI up. Supply chain strain hits highs not seen since 2022, as firms stockpile against shortages. This boosts demand for scrap in autos and manufacturing, despite weaker auto output. Watch for steadier oil around $104 as risks linger.

Gold — Safe-Haven Indicator

• Spot Gold (XAU): $4,698/oz, up +$2.30 (+0.05%) day-over-day. Previous close: $4,696/oz.
• 5-day trend: ↑ 3 of last 5 sessions.

Gold spot prices rose slightly to $4,698 per ounce, up $2.30 or 0.05% today, with gains in 3 of the last 5 sessions. Scrap sellers and recyclers should lock in values now amid global supply chain strains pushing firms to stockpile metals. Lower Brent crude at $103.94 per barrel cuts hauling costs, helping move scrap from Detroit to Houston refiners.

Silver — Industrial & Precious Hybrid

• Spot Silver (XAG): $86.76/oz, down $1.14 (-1.29%) day-over-day. Previous close: $87.89/oz.
• 5-day trend: ↑ 3 of last 5 sessions.
• Gold/Silver ratio: 54.2:1.

Scrap silver prices fell today to $86.76 per ounce, down $1.14 or 1.29%. Lower oil at $103.94 per barrel cuts shipping costs, helping recyclers move material from Detroit to Houston cheaper. With supply chain strains pushing firms to stockpile, hold scrap if you can—silver rose in 3 of the last 5 days and may rebound soon.

Precious Metals (PGM) — Screen Indicators

• Platinum (Pt): $2,133/oz, down $9.00 (-0.42%) day-over-day. Previous close: $2,142/oz. MoM: +1.7%.
• Platinum 5-day trend: ↑ 3 of last 5 sessions.
• Palladium (Pd): $1,479/oz, down $7.00 (-0.47%) day-over-day. Previous close: $1,486/oz. MoM: -5.9%.
• Palladium 5-day trend: ↑ 3 of last 5 sessions.
• Rhodium (Rh): $9,975/oz, flat day-over-day. Previous close: $9,975/oz. MoM: +0.2%.
• Rhodium 5-day trend: ↑ 1 of last 5 sessions.

PGM prices dipped today, with platinum at $2,133/oz and palladium at $1,479/oz both down under 0.5%, while rhodium held flat at $9,975/oz. Higher prices in 2025 are boosting scrap catalytic converter recycling, with platinum supply forecast to rise 6% this year and grow steadily through 2029 amid ongoing market shortages. Lower oil at $103.94/bbl cuts hauling costs, making now a good time for scrap sellers to ship and cash in before supply chains strain further.

Copper — Current Indicators

• COMEX/Spot Copper: $6.64/lb, up +$0.0105 (+0.16%) day-over-day. Previous close: $6.63/lb.
• 5-day trend: ↑ 4 of last 5 sessions.

Copper is holding steady above $6.60 per pound, up slightly today as demand from manufacturing stays strong worldwide. Lower oil prices are also helping scrap haulers cut shipping costs, which supports overall market conditions for sellers right now.

Aluminum — Current Indicators

• LME Aluminum: $3,663/tonne ($1.66/lb), up +$0.0041 (+0.25%) day-over-day. Previous close: $1.66/lb.
• 5-day trend: ↑ 4 of last 5 sessions.

Aluminum scrap hit $1.66 per pound today, up a quarter percent from yesterday after rising in 4 of the last 5 sessions. Prices range widely from $0.10 to $2.70 per pound depending on the grade, with clean extrusions and wheels fetching the most. Lower oil at $103.94 per barrel cuts hauling costs, helping sellers move more metal amid strong demand.

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.