SMASH Recycling Morning Metals Report – May 5, 2026
Prices as of May 05, 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.
All tracked metals are higher today.
Jump to:
- Gold — $4,569/oz ▲
- Silver — $73.95/oz ▲
- PGMs — Rh ▸ $10,050 · Pt ▲ $1,994 · Pd ▲ $1,506
- Copper — $5.99/lb ▲
- Aluminum — $1.60/lb ▲
- Steel Scrap — $413.00/mt ▸
- Macro Backdrop
- CAD — USD/CAD 1.3611
SMASH Recycling Takeaways for Today
- Gold & Silver — Sell gold and silver scrap now at +1.07% and +1.67% gains before any pullback like my past wrong call on yields.
- PGMs — Hold platinum and palladium scrap with +2.62% and +3.01% jumps, but sell rhodium flat; watch auto demand rebounds.
- Copper — Sell copper scrap today up 13 cents per pound at $5.99; my prior sell call missed gains, but volatility warns of whiplash.
- Aluminum — Hold aluminum scrap, up just half a cent to $1.60; seasonal demand spikes still ahead per my prediction.
- Big Picture — With 6 of 8 metals higher, sell hot items fast but hold steady climbers in this strong up market.
Macro Backdrop — Energy and Risk
Brent Crude Oil: $112.07/bbl, down $1.73 (-1.52%) day-over-day.
Brent crude oil fell to $112.07 per barrel, down 1.52% today. This pullback comes after a sharp rise yesterday. World Bank says energy prices will jump 24% this year due to Middle East tensions. A crude oil surplus is expected later in 2026, which may ease prices.
The US dollar softened a bit, with the Dollar Index at 90.82. Ten-year yields dipped to 4.39%, while inflation expectations ticked up to 2.50%. Higher energy costs add risk to scrap metal margins. Watch for more ups and downs in oil to pressure metals.
Gold — Safe-Haven Indicator
- Spot Gold (XAU): $4,569/oz, up +$48.31 (+1.07%) day-over-day. Previous close: $4,521/oz.
- 5-day trend: ↓ 3 of last 5 sessions.
Gold hit $4,569 per ounce today, up $48 or 1.07% from yesterday. This gain bucks a dip in three of the last five sessions, as scrap sellers see steady demand despite oil pulling back to $112.07 per barrel. Recyclers, now's a good time to sell your scrap for top payouts.[1]
Silver — Industrial & Precious Hybrid
- Spot Silver (XAG): $73.95/oz, up +$1.22 (+1.67%) day-over-day. Previous close: $72.74/oz.
- 5-day trend: ↑ 3 of last 5 sessions.
- Gold/Silver ratio: 61.8:1.
**Silver spot price rose to $73.95 per ounce today**, up $1.22 or 1.67% with gains in 3 of the last 5 sessions. The gold-silver ratio sits at 61.8:1, showing silver's strong run versus gold amid steady industrial demand from electronics and solar panels. Scrap sellers and recyclers should hold steady as high prices and refining liquidity issues boost recycling value, even with Brent crude oil pulling back to $112.07 per barrel.[1][3][5][6]
Precious Metals (PGM) — Screen Indicators
- Platinum (Pt): $1,994/oz, up +$51.00 (+2.62%) day-over-day. Previous close: $1,943/oz. MoM: +0.7%.
- Platinum 5-day trend: ↓ 3 of last 5 sessions.
- Palladium (Pd): $1,506/oz, up +$44.00 (+3.01%) day-over-day. Previous close: $1,462/oz. MoM: +1.1%.
- Palladium 5-day trend: ↓ 3 of last 5 sessions.
- Rhodium (Rh): $10,050/oz, flat day-over-day. Previous close: $10,050/oz. MoM: -0.5%.
- Rhodium 5-day trend: ↑ 1 of last 5 sessions.
**PGM prices rose today for scrap sellers.** Platinum hit $1,994 per ounce, up $51 or 2.62%, and palladium reached $1,506 per ounce, up $44 or 3.01%, though both fell in three of the last five days. Rhodium stayed flat at $10,050 per ounce, with oil pulling back to $112.07 per barrel as tensions ease.
Copper — Current Indicators
- COMEX/Spot Copper: $5.99/lb, up +$0.1255 (+2.14%) day-over-day. Previous close: $5.86/lb.
- 5-day trend: ↓ 3 of last 5 sessions.
Copper prices climbed to $5.99 per pound today, up 13 cents or 2.14%. This gain bucks the recent dip in three of the last five sessions and oil's 1.52% drop to $112.07 per barrel. Scrap sellers should hold tight as demand pushes prices higher despite energy pullbacks.
Aluminum — Current Indicators
- LME Aluminum: $3,536/tonne ($1.60/lb), up +$0.0081 (+0.51%) day-over-day. Previous close: $1.60/lb.
- 5-day trend: ↑ 3 of last 5 sessions.
**Aluminum scrap prices rose to $1.60 per pound today.** This marks a small gain of less than one cent, or 0.51%, with prices up in 3 of the last 5 trading days. Even as Brent crude oil fell to $112.07 per barrel, scrap sellers can count on this steady upward trend for now.
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.
