Commodities update -- Week of Nov. 30, 2009

Commodities update -- Week of Nov. 30, 2009
Tags: Operations Management
November 29, 2009

Cheese Block cheese prices on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange averaged slightly under $1.63 per pound during the short Thanksgiving week, up 3 cents from the previous week. Block cheese closed at $1.61 Monday, just under $1.63 Tuesday and $1.65 Wednesday. Prices are off 16 cents, or 9 percent, compared with this time last year, when block cheese averaged just over $1.79 per pound. Wheat Wheat for December delivery closed at $5.54 per bushel Friday on the Minneapolis Grain Exchange, off from the previous week's close of $5.64. Prices for wheat for December delivery closed at $5.63 per bushel Monday, $5.40 per bushel Tuesday and $5.52 per bushel Wednesday. Gasoline and diesel fuel The nationwide average for regular unleaded gasoline was $2.63 per gallon Nov. 30, according to AAA and the Oil Price Information Service, down 1 cent from the previous week. Prices are down 2 percent from an average of $2.69 per gallon a month ago and up 44 percent from an average of $1.83 per gallon this time last year. Mid-range unleaded currently averages $2.79 per gallon while premium unleaded stands at $2.89 per gallon as of Nov. 30. The nationwide average price for diesel fuel stands at $2.82 per gallon Nov. 30, flat from last week. Diesel prices are off 2 percent from an average of $2.76 per gallon this time last year. Natural gas Since Nov. 11, natural gas spot prices rose at nearly all market locations in the lower 48 states, with increases of up to 55 cents per million Btu (MMBtu), according to the Energy Information Administration. Prices at the Henry Hub climbed 15 cents per MMBtu, or about 4 percent, to $3.74 per MMBtu. Pizza company stocks Shares in Pizza Hut parent Yum! Brands Inc. closed at $35.71 on Nov. 27, up 6 cents compared with the previous week's close of $35.65. YUM traded at a 52-week high of $36.96 in June 2009 and a 52-week low of $23.37 in March 2009. Domino's closed at $8.08, up 59 cents compared with the previous Friday's close of $7.49. Over the past 52 weeks, DPZ has traded as high as $10.07 in June 2009 and as low as $3.06 in December 2008. Papa John's stock closed at $22.83, up 88 cents compared with the previous Friday's close of $21.95. PZZA traded at a 52-week high of $29.25 in May 2009 and a 52-week low of $15.31 in January 2009. Shares in CEC Entertainment Inc., parent company of Chuck E. Cheese restaurants, closed at $29.41, up 42 cents compared with the previous week's close of $28.99. CEC traded at a 52-week high of $34.77 in July 2009 and a 52-week low of $14.88 in December 2008. California Pizza Kitchen closed at $12.85 on Nov. 27, up 25 cents compared with the previous week's close of $12.60. CPKI has traded as high as $17.44 in mid-April and as low as $6.99 in December 2008. Pizza Inn closed at $1.65 on Nov. 27, up 5 cents from the previous week's close of $1.60. PZZI traded at a 52-week high of $2.25 in June 2009 and a 52-week low of 98 cents in April 2009.