Article

Cheese prices up 10 cents in a week

Papa Murphy's stock is up $2 in two weeks.

September 22, 2014 by Alicia Kelso — Editor, QSRWeb.com

After remaining steady at $2.35 for two straight weeks, cheese prices jumped last week and finished Friday a dime higher.

Wheat prices, conversely, are at their lowest levels in years.

Here's a glimpse at the market this week.

Cheese

Average block cheese prices rose sharply last week on the Chicago Mercantile, after averaging $2.35 for two weeks in a row.

Last week’s average was $2.40.

Prices closed at $2.37 Monday, $2.39 Tuesday, $2.41 Wednesday and Thursday and $2.45 on Friday.

Wheat

Wheat prices continued to drop significantly and are averaging their lowest prices in four years, at $5.56, from $6.07 the week prior.

On the Minneapolis Grain Exchange, wheat was near the $8 mark in Q2.

Last week’s prices closed at $5.68 Monday, $5.65 Tuesday, $5.63 Wednesday, $5.50 Thursday and $5.35 on Friday.

Gasoline and diesel fuel

Monday's nationwide average for regular unleaded gasoline was $3.33, a drop from $3.39 the week prior. Gas prices were $3.43 a month ago. Consumers were paying $3.47 at the pump this time last year, according to AAA and the Oil Price Information Service. 

Mid-range unleaded was $3.53 on Monday, while the premium unleaded price was $3.71.

The nationwide average for diesel fuel was $3.75, down from $3.78 the week prior. Diesel prices are also down from $3.81 a month ago and $3.92 a year ago.

Natural Gas

Prices generally fell in the Northeast but rose moderately across most of the rest of the country. The Henry Hub spot price was nearly flat, gaining a penny from $3.96 per million British thermal unit (MMBtu) Sept. 10, to $3.97/MMBtu Sept. 17.

At the New York Mercantile Exchange (Nymex) the price of the near-month (October 2014) contract rose from $3.954/MMBtu Sept. 10 to $4.013/MMBtu Sept. 17.

Pizza company stocks

Shares in Pizza Hut parent Yum! Brands Inc. closed out last Friday at $72.64, up slightly from $72.59 the week prior. Yum’s 52-week high of $83.58 was reached in July. Its low of $64.08 was a year ago.

Domino's finished last week at $76.74, a slight increase from $76.24 the week prior. DPZ hit its 52-week high of $80.61 in March. The company’s 52-week low of $64.89 was a year ago.

Papa John's finished out last week at $41.67, a jump from $37.99 the week prior. PZZA’s 52-week high of $55 was in March. Its low of $33.88 was a year ago. 

Pizza Inn closed out last week at $7.92, up from $7.73 the week prior. The company’s 52-week high is $9.09, achieved in November 2013. Its low is $5.38 in March.

Shares in Papa Murphy's closed last week at $10.44, up nearly $1 from $9.49 the week prior and $2 from $8.46 two weeks ago. In its fifth month on the NASDAQ, FRSH’s high/low is $12.10/$8.08, respectively.

Photo provided by Wikipedia.

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