SMASH Recycling Morning Metals Report – May 28, 2026

Prices as of May 28, 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 — $4,386/oz ▼
• Silver — $72.96/oz ▼
• PGMs — Rh ▼ $9,000 · Pt ▼ $1,874 · Pd ▼ $1,323
• Copper — $6.33/lb ▼
• Aluminum — $1.65/lb ▲
• Steel Scrap — $413.00/mt ▸
• Macro Backdrop
• CAD — USD/CAD 1.3831

SMASH Recycling Takeaways for Today

• Gold & Silver — With both metals sliding, avoid big dump runs today; move only what you must for cash flow and hold back clean, high-grade lots for a better day.
• PGMs — Platinum, palladium, and rhodium are all under pressure again; do not wait for a “bounce,” keep catalytic converter and mixed PGM scrap moving steadily on any decent bid.
• Copper — Copper is basically flat, so use today to ship clean wire and #1 copper you’ve already sorted, but don’t chase extra volume expecting a big move.
• Aluminum — Aluminum is the lone gainer; lean into this strength by pushing segregated cast, sheet, and extrusion while yards are still paying up.
• Big Picture — Only 1 of 8 metals is higher and steel is flat, so treat this as a weak board: sell into today’s aluminum strength, keep PGMs and other weak metals turning over, and avoid building big speculative piles.

Macro Backdrop — Energy and Risk

Brent Crude Oil: $94.57/bbl, up $1.33 (+1.43%) day-over-day.

US Dollar Index (DXY): 99.28, down 0.04 (-0.04%) day-over-day.

Energy markets are **firm** this morning. Brent crude is trading near **$95**, up about **1.4%** on the day, keeping fuel and freight costs pointed higher. The **U.S. dollar index is slightly softer**, while **USD/CAD around 1.38** keeps the Canadian dollar on the weaker side, which still helps Canadian yard margins on U.S.-dollar‑priced metals.

On the risk side, the **10‑year U.S. yield has slipped to about 4.5%**, easing a bit of pressure from recent highs, while the **Fed policy rate is steady** and **inflation (CPI) is still edging up**. Auto production is ticking higher, a plus for future shred and aluminum volumes. Overall, energy is a cost headwind, but slightly lower yields and stronger auto output keep the macro backdrop **mixed, not panicky** for scrap flows and pricing.

Gold — Safe-Haven Indicator

• Spot Gold (XAU): $4,386/oz, down $74.71 (-1.68%) day-over-day. Previous close: $4,460/oz.
• 5-day trend: ↓ 4 of last 5 sessions.

Gold is trading around **$4,386/oz**, down about **1.7%** today and lower in **4 of the last 5 sessions**, so buyers may try to push payouts a bit lower. With the **US dollar slightly softer** and **energy markets still firm** (Brent near **$94.57/bbl**), scrap sellers and recyclers might see active refiner demand, but it’s a better day to **hold or wait for a bounce** than to rush large gold loads to market.

Silver — Industrial & Precious Hybrid

• Spot Silver (XAG): $72.96/oz, down $1.73 (-2.32%) day-over-day. Previous close: $74.69/oz.
• 5-day trend: ↓ 3 of last 5 sessions.
• Gold/Silver ratio: 60.1:1.

Silver is trading around **$73/oz**, down about **2% on the day**, with prices lower in **3 of the last 5 sessions**, so yards should expect softer offers on clean silver scrap. The **gold/silver ratio near 60:1** still looks healthy, and with the dollar flat and **energy markets firm** (Brent around **$95/bbl**), this feels more like a normal pullback than a panic, so steady, volume sellers can keep moving material while price‑sensitive holders may choose to wait for a better bounce.

Precious Metals (PGM) — Screen Indicators

• Platinum (Pt): $1,874/oz, down $54.00 (-2.80%) day-over-day. Previous close: $1,928/oz. MoM: -3.3%.
• Platinum 5-day trend: ↓ 3 of last 5 sessions.
• Palladium (Pd): $1,323/oz, down $47.00 (-3.43%) day-over-day. Previous close: $1,370/oz. MoM: -8.4%.
• Palladium 5-day trend: ↑ 3 of last 5 sessions.
• Rhodium (Rh): $9,000/oz, down $50.00 (-0.55%) day-over-day. Previous close: $9,050/oz. MoM: -10.0%.
• Rhodium 5-day trend: ↓ 4 of last 5 sessions.

PGM prices are under pressure today, with **platinum, palladium, and rhodium all down on the session**. For scrap sellers, that means converter values are softer, even though palladium has firmed in 3 of the last 5 days and energy markets are still **firm** with Brent near $94.57, so some yards may hold material and watch for a better bounce before committing big volumes.

Copper — Current Indicators

• COMEX/Spot Copper: $6.33/lb, down $0.0090 (-0.14%) day-over-day. Previous close: $6.34/lb.
• 5-day trend: ↑ 3 of last 5 sessions.

Copper is holding near **$6.33/lb**, down less than a penny today, so the move is tiny but still slightly **lower**. Energy markets are **firm** and Brent crude near **$94.57/bbl** helps keep overall demand steady, and copper has closed higher in **3 of the last 5 sessions**, so sellers still face a strong but choppy market.

Aluminum — Current Indicators

• LME Aluminum: $3,640/tonne ($1.65/lb), up +$0.0059 (+0.36%) day-over-day. Previous close: $1.65/lb.
• 5-day trend: ↑ 4 of last 5 sessions.

Aluminum is trading around **$1.65/lb**, up just under a cent today, and has moved higher in **4 of the last 5 sessions**, so the trend is still gently upward. With **energy markets firm** and Brent crude near **$94.57/bbl**, scrap sellers can expect decent support under aluminum prices, but the day’s move is small, so yards are more likely to tweak buy prices than make big changes.

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.