Weekly Metal Price Report
Copper scrap prices displayed a mixed trend during the week, with several key grades posting modest week-on-week gains, while a few categories remained unchanged on the Index.
Copper scrap markets remained under pressure, with most major grades posting declines. The steepest percentage drop was seen in Xmas Lights, which fell by $0.01 per pound (↓2.50%).
North American gold scrap prices advanced across hallmarked and non-hallmarked grades during October 16-22, while silver fell 1.61% and platinum edged 0.06% higher on the ScrapMonster Price Index.
Aluminum scrap prices posted a modest week-on-week decline of nearly ↓2.19% on the Scrap Monster Price Index, with the majority of listed grades trending lower. Nearly all categories recorded price drops, except for Al/Cu Radiators, Al/Cu Radiators/Fe, Aluminum Radiators/Fe, and Aluminum Transformers, which held steady.
Hallmarked fourteen-carat scrap gold fell slightly by $3.47 per ounce, while 18-carat material registered a similar weekly loss of $4.45 per ounce. Also, twenty-two-carat scrap gold declined by $5.43 per ounce on the Index.
Platinum scrap prices, meanwhile, registered steeper week-over-week losses across both hallmarked and non-hallmarked categories, reflecting broader weakness in precious metals markets.
North American scrap markets diverged during October 2-8, with aluminum and zinc prices mostly lower, copper split sharply by region, brass and lead unchanged, and most ferrous benchmarks holding steady apart from gains in selected prime grades.
Aluminum scrap exhibited a mixed pricing pattern, with the majority of the grades recording decline over the previous week.
North American precious metal scrap prices moved lower during September 25–October 1, led by nearly 7% declines in silver. Gold weakened across all major hallmarked and non-hallmarked purity grades, while platinum scrap fell 3.05% as international precious-metal benchmarks also moved lower.
The review also highlights the key supply-demand developments and broader industry trends that influenced market direction during the reporting period.
North American precious metal scrap prices diverged during September 18-24, with gold falling across hallmarked and non-hallmarked purity grades and platinum declining $18.92/oz. Silver scrap moved modestly higher.
Copper scrap prices posted moderate gains over the week, with several major grades moving higher. Xmas Lights recorded the strongest performance, climbing ↑2.70% from the previous week, while #3 Copper- Light Copper followed closely with a week-on-week increase of ↑1.96%.
Also, hallmarked and non-hallmarked silver prices were down slightly upon comparison with the previous week’s prices.
Copper scrap prices exhibited a mixed performance during the week, with several major grades registering modest week-over-week increases, while a handful of categories held steady with no change on the Index. Meanwhile, clean copper grades recorded dip in prices.
In contrast, all tracked gold categories—9ct, 14ct, 18ct and 22ct—declined by 1.17%, indicating that gold faced greater selling pressure despite continued volatility across the broader precious-metals complex.
Copper scrap markets moved in different directions over the week. While select grades registered small increases on the Index, several varieties remained unchanged. At the same time, certain scrap grades faced downward price adjustments amid uneven market conditions.
The decline in hallmarked scrap gold prices was mainly due to lower bullion replacement values, which reduced the prices refiners and scrap buyers were willing to pay for hallmarked jewellery and other high-purity gold-bearing scrap.
Drawing on the Scrap Monster Price Index, this weekly review tracks developments across key scrap metal segments and highlights the major factors shaping prices during the period.
Hallmarked gold scrap prices in the North American market rose last week, supported by a broader rally in benchmark gold prices as expectations of easier U.S. monetary policy improved following weaker economic data and reduced fears of near-term rate hikes.
The aluminum scrap market experienced predominantly weaker pricing over the week, as most grades tracked by the Index registered declines.
The rise in non-hallmarked gold and platinum alongside falling hallmarked silver points to selective investor demand, with stronger safe-haven and supply-driven support for gold and platinum while silver faces weaker industrial-demand sentiment.
Copper scrap prices remained flat as steady material availability and balanced buying interest kept the market largely stable. While elevated copper prices and tightening global supply provided underlying support, cautious purchasing activity and limited short-term price movement prevented significant changes across the major scrap grades.
Hallmarked gold scrap prices recorded solid weekly increases, supported by firm demand and favorable market conditions across multiple purity grades.
Aluminum scrap exhibited a mixed pricing pattern, as most grades advanced while a limited number remained unchanged over the reporting period.
Fourteen-carat scrap gold registered a notable increase of $53.94 per ounce, reflecting improving consumption trends and renewed market confidence.