Prices as of March 19, 2026 at 12:31 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 lower today.
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- Gold — $4,608/oz ▼
- Silver — $68.43/oz ▼
- PGMs — Rh ▸ $11,400 · Pt ▼ $1,893 · Pd ▼ $1,405
- Copper — $5.40/lb ▼
- Aluminum — $1.51/lb ▼
- Steel Scrap — $413.00/mt ▸
- Macro Backdrop
- CAD — USD/CAD 1.3706
Smash Scrap Takeaways for Today
- Gold & Silver — Both metals took major hits today with gold down $218/oz (-4.5%) and silver plunging $7/oz (-9.2%). If you're sitting on jewelry, dental scrap, or electronic gold, consider selling immediately—this downtrend has legs and waiting could cost you hundreds per ounce.
- PGMs — Platinum crashed $125/oz (-6.2%) while palladium fell $57/oz (-3.9%), with only rhodium holding flat at $11,400/oz. Auto recyclers in Detroit and Cleveland should move catalytic converter inventory now before platinum tests $1,800 support levels.
- Copper — Down 8 cents to $5.40/lb (-1.6%) as industrial demand concerns spread from Chicago to Houston yards. Wire and pipe dealers should list heavy inventory today rather than gamble on a bounce that may not come.
- Aluminum — Dropped 4 cents to $1.51/lb (-2.7%) with the selloff hitting all base metals. Beverage can processors and siding recyclers from LA to Atlanta should move tonnage immediately before prices test $1.45 support.
- Big Picture — Brutal across the board with 0 of 8 metals higher today, confirming our models' bearish calls were spot-on for this broad-based commodities rout.
Macro Backdrop — Energy and Risk
Brent Crude Oil: $107.34/bbl, up $1.86 (+1.76%) day-over-day.
Oil surged nearly $2 higher as Middle East tensions escalated, with reports of potential Iran war impacts spreading beyond energy to global food supplies through fertilizer shortages. This geopolitical premium is lifting energy costs across American industrial centers from Detroit to Houston, creating upward pressure on scrap transportation and processing expenses. Higher diesel and electricity costs typically squeeze margins for scrap dealers, though the inflationary environment can eventually support stronger scrap pricing as end-users face their own rising input costs.
The broader macro picture shows mixed signals for scrap demand. While oil strength suggests economic activity, precious metals continue falling sharply with gold and silver both down significantly as rate cut expectations fade. This creates a challenging environment for mixed-metal scrap operations, particularly in automotive recycling hubs like Detroit and Cleveland where both industrial metals and precious metal recovery contribute to margins. Rising energy costs combined with persistent Fed hawkishness could pressure manufacturing activity in key scrap-consuming regions, though infrastructure spending continues supporting baseline steel scrap demand across major markets.
Gold — Safe-Haven Indicator
- Spot Gold (XAU): $4,608/oz, down $217.91 (-4.52%) day-over-day. Previous close: $4,826/oz.
- 5-day trend: ↓ 4 of last 5 sessions.
Gold fell sharply as Middle East tensions failed to provide lasting safe-haven support, with scrap sellers in Detroit and Houston facing weaker buyback prices despite rising transportation costs from higher oil. The decline extends gold's recent weakness, continuing the downtrend that has pressured precious metals recyclers across American industrial centers over the past week. While geopolitical risks from the Iran conflict keep oil elevated, gold's inability to hold gains suggests investors may be rotating out of the traditional safe-haven asset, creating headwinds for e-waste recyclers and jewelry buyers looking to liquidate gold inventory.
Silver — Industrial & Precious Hybrid
- Spot Silver (XAG): $68.43/oz, down $6.94 (-9.21%) day-over-day. Previous close: $75.37/oz.
- 5-day trend: ↓ 4 of last 5 sessions.
- Gold/Silver ratio: 67.3:1.
Silver dropped sharply as escalating Middle East tensions drove investors toward gold instead, leaving industrial metals like silver behind despite higher energy costs boosting scrap processing expenses across Detroit and Houston recycling centers. The gold-to-silver ratio widened to 67:1, suggesting silver may be undervalued compared to gold for electronics recyclers and solar panel scrap dealers who benefit from silver's dual role as both a precious and industrial metal. With silver continuing its recent downward trend, scrap sellers should monitor whether industrial demand from electronics manufacturing can provide a floor, especially as transportation costs rise with oil surging near current levels.
Precious Metals (PGM) — Screen Indicators
- Platinum (Pt): $1,893/oz, down $125.00 (-6.19%) day-over-day. Previous close: $2,018/oz.
- Platinum 5-day trend: ↓ 3 of last 5 sessions.
- Palladium (Pd): $1,405/oz, down $57.00 (-3.90%) day-over-day. Previous close: $1,462/oz.
- Palladium 5-day trend: ↓ 4 of last 5 sessions.
- Rhodium (Rh): $11,400/oz, flat day-over-day. Previous close: $11,400/oz.
- Rhodium 5-day trend: ↓ 1 of last 5 sessions.
Platinum and palladium sellers in Detroit and Houston are facing weaker prices as both metals continue their recent downward slide, with platinum dropping $125 and palladium falling $57 amid escalating Middle East tensions that are driving up transportation costs. While rhodium held steady at $11,400 per ounce, the broader PGM weakness reflects ongoing pressure from reduced industrial demand and higher processing expenses as oil surges near $107 per barrel. Scrap dealers should factor in these elevated fuel costs when negotiating catalytic converter and industrial platinum group metal transactions, particularly given the consistent selling pressure across most sessions this week.
Copper — Current Indicators
- COMEX/Spot Copper: $5.40/lb, down $0.0850 (-1.55%) day-over-day. Previous close: $5.49/lb.
- 5-day trend: ↓ 4 of last 5 sessions.
Copper dropped about 8 cents lower as Middle East tensions continue driving up transportation and processing costs across scrap yards from Detroit to Houston. Despite oil surging to $107.34 per barrel, copper has fallen in four of the last five sessions, pressuring payouts for #1 and #2 copper, bare bright wire, and industrial copper sellers nationwide. Rising energy costs are squeezing scrap processor margins even as copper prices weaken, creating a challenging environment for American recyclers.
Aluminum — Current Indicators
- LME Aluminum: $3,323/tonne ($1.51/lb), down $0.0420 (-2.71%) day-over-day. Previous close: $1.55/lb.
- 5-day trend: ↓ 4 of last 5 sessions.
Aluminum prices dropped further today, continuing the metal's slide that's now hit four of the last five sessions despite surging oil costs from Middle East tensions. While higher energy prices typically support aluminum through increased production costs, scrap sellers from Detroit to Houston are seeing the industrial slowdown outweigh geopolitical factors as buyers remain cautious about committing to purchases. Cast aluminum sellers may find slightly better demand than sheet and extrusion grades, as foundries tend to maintain more consistent recycling schedules even during market uncertainty.
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).
⚠️ Note: Silver (9.2%), Platinum (6.2%) show unusually large day-over-day moves. Illiquid markets (e.g. rhodium) can have wide bid-ask spreads; verify with multiple sources before acting.
Want to move PGM-bearing material, copper, aluminum, or steel scrap through competitive bidding? List your lots on Smash Scrap and let vetted buyers compete for your scrap.