Commodities update -- Week of March 15, 2010

Commodities update -- Week of March 15, 2010
Tags: Operations Management
March 14, 2010 - Jennifer Litz

Cheese Block cheese prices trended up last week on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, averaging just over $1.27 per pound. Prices were down 33 cents from the previous week. Prices closed at just under $1.29 on Monday, under $1.28 on Tuesday and Wednesday, and just under $1.27 on Thursday and Friday. Wheat Wheat closed at just under $5.03 per bushel Friday on the Minneapolis Grain Exchange, down 1 cent from the previous week's close of $5.04. Prices for wheat closed at just under $5.06 Monday, at $5.02 Tuesday, just under $5 per bushel Wednesday and $4. 97 per bushel Thursday. Gasoline and diesel fuel The nationwide average for regular unleaded gasoline was $2.79 per gallon March 15, according to AAA and the Oil Price Information Service, up 4 cents from the previous week. Prices are up 6 percent from an average of $2.62 per gallon a month ago and up 46 percent from an average of $1.91 per gallon this time last year. Mid-range unleaded currently averages $2.96 per gallon while premium unleaded as of March 15 stood at $3.07 per gallon. The nationwide average price for diesel fuel stood at $2.92 per gallon March 15, up 2 cents from last week. Diesel prices are up 36 percent from an average of $2.14 per gallon this time last year. Natural gas Since March 3, natural gas spot prices fell at most market locations across the lower 48 States, with decreases of as much as 11 percent. Prices at the Henry Hub declined $0.32, or about 7 percent, to $4.44 per million Btu (MMBtu), according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Pizza company stocks Shares in Pizza Hut parent Yum! Brands Inc. closed at $37.43 on March 12, up $2.56 compared with the previous week's close of $34.87. YUM traded at a 52-week high of $37.60 in March 2010 2009 and a 52-week low of $26.25 in March 2009. Domino's closed at $13.90, up 1 cent compared with the previous Friday's close of $13.89. DPZ has traded as high as $14.26 in March 2010 and as low as $6.10 in March 2009, over the past 52 weeks. Papa John's stock closed at $25.59, up $1.04 compared with the previous Friday's close of $24.55. PZZA traded at a 52-week high of $29.25 in May 2009 and a 52-week low of $21.44 in December 2009. Shares in CEC Entertainment Inc., parent company of Chuck E. Cheese restaurants, closed at $36.59, down 19 cents compared with the previous week's close of $36.78. CEC traded at a 52-week high of $37.19 in March 2010 and a 52-week low of $21.90 in March 2009. California Pizza Kitchen closed at $17 on March 12, up $1 from the previous week's close of $16. CPKI traded as high as $17.44 in mid-April and as low as $11.08 in March 2009. Pizza Inn closed at $1.90 on March 12, up 16 cents from the previous week's close of $1.84. PZZI traded at a 52-week high of $2.25 in June 2009 and a 52-week low of 98 cents in April 2009.