SMASH Recycling Morning Metals Report – May 27, 2026

Prices as of May 27, 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.

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• Gold — $4,461/oz ▼
• Silver — $74.84/oz ▼
• PGMs — Rh ▼ $9,200 · Pt ▼ $1,929 · Pd ▼ $1,365
• Copper — $6.37/lb ▼
• Aluminum — $1.66/lb ▼
• Steel Scrap — $413.00/mt ▸
• Macro Backdrop
• CAD — USD/CAD 1.3812

SMASH Recycling Takeaways for Today

• Gold & Silver — With both down again and my recent “wait for a bounce” call proving wrong, don’t hold out for a big rebound; move clean gold and silver scrap on any small intraday uptick and keep turns fast.
• PGMs — All three are softer today, so keep rhodium and lower‑grade cat material flowing, but only rush premium platinum and palladium units if you need cash or storage space.
• Copper — Board is only about 1 cent under last week’s “ship it” level and my firm-price call held up, so keep moving #1 wire and bright & shiny rather than gambling on a bigger slide.
• Aluminum — Price is basically unchanged and in line with my “grind higher” view, so use today to clear segregated, clean aluminum while yards are still paying close to recent highs.
• Big Picture — Board is risk‑off with 0 of 8 metals higher (7 down, steel flat), so focus on cash flow and quality loads instead of trying to time a perfect top.

Macro Backdrop — Energy and Risk

Brent Crude Oil: $93.42/bbl, down $3.18 (-3.29%) day-over-day.

US Dollar Index (DXY): 99.12, down 0.07 (-0.07%) day-over-day.

Energy is a bit of a headwind this morning. **Brent crude slid to about $93**, down over 3%, easing some pressure on freight and shred fuel costs but still high versus earlier in the year.[10] The **U.S. dollar index is slightly softer** and **USD/CAD is near 1.38**, so Canadian yards still feel a currency drag when selling into U.S. dollar markets.[3]

On the macro side, the **10-year yield is steady around 4.56%** and **Fed policy and inflation expectations are basically flat**, keeping rate-cut hopes on hold. Auto production is ticking higher, which is a quiet positive for shred and prime industrial flows, but nothing here screams “risk-on” yet. Overall risk tone is neutral-to-cautious, with oil off the highs but money still not cheap.

Gold — Safe-Haven Indicator

• Spot Gold (XAU): $4,461/oz, down $40.66 (-0.90%) day-over-day. Previous close: $4,502/oz.
• 5-day trend: ↓ 3 of last 5 sessions.

Gold is trading around **$4,461/oz**, down about **1%** today and lower in **3 of the last 5 sessions**, so the bounce we hoped for has not shown up yet. With the **dollar a touch softer** but **energy still a headwind** and Brent crude near **$93/bbl**, this feels like a slower tape, so scrap sellers may want to move only what they need for cash today and stay flexible on larger gold runs.

Silver — Industrial & Precious Hybrid

• Spot Silver (XAG): $74.84/oz, down $2.21 (-2.87%) day-over-day. Previous close: $77.06/oz.
• 5-day trend: ↑ 3 of last 5 sessions.
• Gold/Silver ratio: 59.6:1.

Silver is trading around **$74.84/oz**, down about **3% on the day**, after a choppy stretch where it was up in **3 of the last 5 sessions**. With the **dollar slightly softer** but **energy costs still a headwind** and the **gold/silver ratio near 59.6:1**, scrap sellers may want to stay flexible and use any small intraday bounces to move material rather than waiting for a big spike that has not shown up yet.

Precious Metals (PGM) — Screen Indicators

• Platinum (Pt): $1,929/oz, down $25.00 (-1.28%) day-over-day. Previous close: $1,954/oz. MoM: -3.0%.
• Platinum 5-day trend: ↑ 3 of last 5 sessions.
• Palladium (Pd): $1,365/oz, down $4.00 (-0.29%) day-over-day. Previous close: $1,369/oz. MoM: -6.4%.
• Palladium 5-day trend: ↑ 3 of last 5 sessions.
• Rhodium (Rh): $9,200/oz, down $100.00 (-1.08%) day-over-day. Previous close: $9,300/oz. MoM: -8.0%.
• Rhodium 5-day trend: ↓ 4 of last 5 sessions.

Platinum, palladium, and rhodium are all **down on the day**, but platinum and palladium have still managed **higher closes in three of the last five sessions**, showing some quiet support under the market. Rhodium is softer, with **four down days in the last five**, and with energy costs still a headwind and the dollar slightly weaker, scrap sellers may want to stay selective and shop bids, especially on rhodium-heavy material.

Copper — Current Indicators

• COMEX/Spot Copper: $6.37/lb, down $0.0545 (-0.85%) day-over-day. Previous close: $6.42/lb.
• 5-day trend: ↑ 4 of last 5 sessions.

Copper is trading around **$6.37/lb**, about 5 cents lower on the day, but it’s still near very strong levels for scrap sellers. The board has been up in **4 of the last 5 sessions**, and with the dollar a touch softer and Brent crude at **$93.42/bbl**, energy is more of a headwind than a crash, so most yards are likely to keep paying solid, but slightly cautious, prices on clean copper grades.

Aluminum — Current Indicators

• LME Aluminum: $3,667/tonne ($1.66/lb), down $0.0051 (-0.31%) day-over-day. Previous close: $1.67/lb.
• 5-day trend: ↑ 4 of last 5 sessions.

Aluminum is trading around **$1.66/lb**, down just a hair today, but it has still finished higher in **4 of the last 5 sessions**. With the **dollar a bit softer** and **Brent crude near $93**, energy is a mild headwind, but the recent uptrend means scrap sellers can still find fair bids if they shop yards and move clean, sorted material.

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.