Article

Commodities: Gasoline prices continue to fall

The prices of cheese, gasoline and natural gas decreased, while wheat remained unchanged.

January 25, 2016 by Travis Wagoner — Editor, Networld Media Group

The prices of cheese, gasoline and natural gas decreased, while wheat remained unchanged. Details are below.

Cheese

Average block cheese prices decreased by 4 cents during the week on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. Prices were $1.50 Tuesday, $1.48 Wednesday, $1.47 Thursday and $1.46 Friday. The market was closed Monday in honor of the Dr. Martin Luther King holiday. The previous week's prices were $1.46 Monday, $1.49 Tuesday, $1.50 Wednesday, $1.50 Thursday and $1.50 Friday. 

Wheat

Wheat prices remained at $4.97 from the previous week on the Minneapolis Grain Exchange. 

Gasoline and diesel fuel

Monday's nationwide average for regular unleaded gasoline decreased to $1.83 from $1.89 the previous week, according to AAA and the Oil Price Information Service.

Prices are down from $2.00 a month ago, and are significantly lower than this time last year, when consumers were paying $2.02 at the pump.

Mid-range remained decreased 7 cents from last week to $2.11, while Monday's premium unleaded price was $2.35, down 7 cents from last week.

The nationwide average for diesel fuel decreased to $2.09, down 6 cents from $2.15 last week. Diesel prices were also $2.28 a month ago, and 56 cents down from a year ago, when prices were $2.84.

Natural gas

Outside of the Northeast and the Marcellus region, natural gas spot prices fell at most trading locations during the report week (Wednesday, Jan. 13, to Wednesday, Jan. 20). The Henry Hub spot price fell from $2.30 per million British thermal units (MMBtu) last Wednesday to $2.14/MMBtu yesterday.

At the New York Mercantile Exchange (Nymex), the price of the near-month (February 2016) contract decreased by about 15 cents, from $2.269/MMBtu last Wednesday to $2.118/MMBtu yesterday.

Pizza company stocks

Shares in Pizza Hut parent Yum! Brands Inc closed Friday at $68.09, up from last week's $67.09.

Domino's finished last week at $111.60, up from last week's $104.16.

Papa John's closed Friday at $48.86, up from $48.16 the previous week.

Shares in Papa Murphy's closed Friday at $10.50, down from last week's $10.73. Four weeks ago it closed at $11.27.

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.