Article

Commodities: Cheese down 13 cents from last year

November 14, 2010

Cheese

Block cheese prices fell again last week on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, averaging $1.40 per pound. The price is down 13 cents from last week's average of $1.53.

Cheese prices are down 11 percent overall compared with last year, when they averaged $1.57 per pound.

Wheat

Prices for wheat on the Minneapolis Grain Exchange closed at $7.45, down 52 cents from the previous week’s close of $7.97.

Wheat prices closed at $8.04 on Monday, $7.96 Tuesday, $7.82 per bushel Wednesday, and $7.77 per bushel Thursday.

Gasoline and diesel fuel

The nationwide average for regular unleaded gasoline was $2.89 per gallon Nov. 12, according to AAA and the Oil Price Information Service, up 4 cents from the previous week’s average of $2.85. Prices are up 2 percent from $2.83 per gallon a month ago and up 9 percent from an average of $2.64 per gallon this time last year. Mid-range unleaded currently averages $3.07 per gallon while premium unleaded as of Nov. 12 stood at just under $3.18 per gallon.

The nationwide average for diesel fuel stood at $3.19 per gallon Nov. 12, up 1 percent from last week’s price of $3.12. Diesel prices are up 2 percent from an average of $2.83 per gallon this time last year.

Natural gas

Since Nov. 3, natural gas spot prices rose across the lower 48 states, increasing between $0.25 and $1.12 per million Btu, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Prices at the Henry Hub rose $0.41 per MMBtu since last Wednesday, averaging $3.76 per MMBtu in trading Nov. 9.

Pizza company stocks

Shares in Pizza Hut parent Yum! Brands Inc. closed at $50.79 on Nov. 12, down 54 cents compared with the previous week's record-high close of $51.33. 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 $14.65, down 50 cents compared with the previous Friday's close of $15.15. DPZ traded as high as $16.32 in April 2010, and as low as $7.45 in November 2009.

Papa John's stock closed at $25.67, up 8 cents compared with the previous Friday's close of $25.59. 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 $38.03, down $1.23 compared with the previous week's close of $36.80. 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 on Nov. 12, down 22 cents from the previous week's close of $17.22. CPKI traded as high as $22.92 in April 2010, and as low as $12.29 in December 2009.

Pizza Inn closed at $1.99 on Nov. 12, down 1 cent from the previous week's close of $2. PZZI traded at a 52-week high of $2.20 in April 2010, and a 52-week low of $1.50 in December 2009.

*Flickr photo by JKonig