Article

Commodities: Price fluctuations continue

The price for cheese, wheat and gasoline decreased while diesel fuel increased, and natural gas and pizza stocks varied.

May 9, 2016 by Travis Wagoner — Editor, Networld Media Group

The price for cheese, wheat and gasoline decreased while diesel fuel increased, and natural gas and pizza stocks varied. Details are below.

Cheese

Average block cheese dropped 5 cents during the week on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. Prices were $1.36 Monday, $1.34 Tuesday, $1.33 Wednesday, and $1.31 Thursday and Friday. The previous week's prices were $1.42 Monday, $1.38 Tuesday, $1.36 Wednesday, and $1.37 Thursday and Friday.

Wheat

Wheat prices decreased by 9 cents to $5.31 from the previous week on the Minneapolis Grain Exchange. It was $5.40 the previous week.

Gasoline and diesel fuel

Monday's nationwide average for regular unleaded gasoline decreased 1 cent to $2.21 from $2.22 the previous week, according to AAA and the Oil Price Information Service.

Prices are up from $2.04 a month ago and are significantly lower than this time last year when consumers were paying $2.66 at the pump.

Mid-range remained unchanged from last week at $2.46, while Monday's premium unleaded price also remained the same at $2.68.

The nationwide average for diesel fuel increased by 2 cents to $2.22. Diesel prices were also $2.09 a month ago, and 63 cents down from a year ago, when prices were $2.85.

Natural gas

Natural gas spot prices rose at most locations this report week (Wednesday, April 27, to Wednesday, May 4), with some exceptions in the Northeast. The Henry Hub spot price rose from $1.88/MMBtu last Wednesday to $1.99/MMBtu yesterday.

At the New York Mercantile Exchange (Nymex), the June 2016 contract price declined slightly over the report week, from $2.153/MMBtu last Wednesday to $2.141/MMBtu yesterday.

Pizza company stocks

Shares in Pizza Hut parent Yum! Brands Inc closed Friday at $80.96, up from last week's $79.56.

Domino's finished last week at $119.31, down from last week's $120.88.

Papa John's closed Friday at $59.49, up from $56.59 the previous week.

Shares in Papa Murphy's closed Friday at $9.07, down from last week's $12.56. Four weeks ago it closed at $11.69.

About Travis Wagoner

---

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.