Article

Commodities: A mixed report

The price for cheese fluctuated, wheat decreased, gasoline increased, natural gas fell and pizza stocks rose.

February 29, 2016 by Travis Wagoner — Editor, Networld Media Group

The price for cheese fluctuated, wheat decreased, gasoline increased, natural gas fell and pizza stocks rose. Details are below.

Cheese

Average block cheese prices dropped and then rose during the week on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. Prices were $1.48 Monday, $1.45 Tuesday through Thursday and $1.48 Friday. The previous week's prices were $1.49 Tuesday through Friday. The market was closed Monday in honor of the President's Day holiday.

Wheat

Wheat prices decreased 4 cents to $4.89 from the previous week on the Minneapolis Grain Exchange. It was $4.93 the previous week.

Gasoline and diesel fuel

Monday's nationwide average for regular unleaded gasoline increased to $1.75 from $1.71 the previous week, according to AAA and the Oil Price Information Service.

Prices are down from $1.81 a month ago, and are significantly lower than this time last year, when consumers were paying $2.40 at the pump.

Mid-range remained increased 3 cents from last week to $2.02, while Monday's premium unleaded price was $2.24, increasing 3 cents from last week.

The nationwide average for diesel fuel remained at $1.98 from last week. Diesel prices were also $2.06 a month ago, and 92 cents down from a year ago, when prices were $2.90.

Natural gas

Natural gas prices fell substantially at most market locations this report week (Wednesday, Feb. 17, to Wednesday, Feb. 24), with the biggest declines in the Northeast. The Henry Hub spot price fell from $1.91 per million British thermal unit (MMBtu) last Wednesday to $1.79/MMBtu yesterday.

At the New York Mercantile Exchange (Nymex), the price of the near-month (March 2016) contract fell from $1.942/MMBtu last Wednesday to $1.778/MMBtu yesterday, and was headed lower this afternoon.

Pizza company stocks

Shares in Pizza Hut parent Yum! Brands Inc closed Friday at $71.42, up from last week's $70.52.

Domino's finished last week at $134.39, up significantly from last week's $112.87.

Papa John's closed Friday at $61.07, up from $53.24 the previous week.

Shares in Papa Murphy's closed Friday at $10.70, up from last week's $9.84. Four weeks ago it closed at $9.49.

About Travis Wagoner

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Travis Wagoner spent nearly 18 years in education as an alumni relations and communications director, coordinating numerous annual events and writing, editing and producing a quarterly, 72-plus-page magazine. Travis also was a ghostwriter for an insurance firm, writing about the Affordable Care Act. He holds a BA degree in communications/public relations from Xavier University.