Article

Cheese, stocks inch up

November 28, 2010

Cheese

Block cheese prices inched up last week on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, averaging $1.48 per pound. The price is up 5 cents from last week's average of $1.43.

Cheese prices are down 9 percent overall compared with last year, when they averaged $1.63 per pound.

Wheat

Prices for wheat on the Minneapolis Grain Exchange closed at $7.24 last Wednesday, down 2 cents from the previous week’s close of $7.26 (on Friday).

Wheat prices closed at $7.30 on Monday and $7.29 Tuesday.

Gasoline and diesel fuel

The nationwide average for regular unleaded gasoline was $2.86 per gallon November 29, according to AAA and the Oil Price Information Service, down 1 cent from the previous week’s average of $2.87. Prices are up 2 percent from $2.81 per gallon a month ago and up 9 percent from an average of $2.63 per gallon this time last year. Mid-range unleaded currently averages $3.04 per gallon while premium unleaded as of Nov. 29 stood at just under $3.18 per gallon.

The nationwide average for diesel fuel stood at $3.18 per gallon November 29, flat from last week’s price of $3.19. Diesel prices are up 13 percent from an average of $2.82 per gallon this time last year.

Natural gas

Natural gas spot prices fell modestly at nearly all domestic pricing points, likely because expectations for colder weather were slow in materializing and storage levels rose again, according to the Energy Information Administration. The Henry Hub price fell 23 cents (about 6 percent) for the week ending November 17, to $3.77 per million Btu (MMBtu).

Pizza company stocks

Shares in Pizza Hut parent Yum! Brands Inc. closed at $50.05 on November 24, down 74 cents compared with the previous Friday’s close of $50.79. Yum! traded at an all-time 52-week high of $52.47 in November 2010, and a 52-week low of $32.49 in February 2010.

Domino's closed at $14.78, down 39 cents compared with the previous Friday's close of $14.39. DPZ traded as high as $16.32 in April 2010, and as low as $7.57 in December 2009.

Papa John's stock closed at $25.88, up 6 cents compared with the previous Friday's close of $25.82. PZZA traded at a 52-week high of $28.84 in May 2010, 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 $38.49, down 1 cent compared with the previous week's close of $38.50. CEC traded at a 52-week high of $41.79 in April 2010, and a 52-week low of $28.48 in November 2009.

California Pizza Kitchen closed at $17.06 on November 24, up 16 cents from the previous week's close of $16.50. CPKI traded as high as $22.92 in April 2010, and as low as $12.29 in December 2009.

Pizza Inn closed at $1.93 on Nov. 24, up 3 cents from the previous week's close of $1.90. PZZI traded at a 52-week high of $2.20 in April 2010, and a 52-week low of $1.50 in December 2009.