Article

Commodities: Prices hold steady

Cheese and gas have been relatively stable the last couple of weeks; wheat sees no new highs. 

November 21, 2010

Cheese

Block cheese prices fell again last week on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, averaging $1.43 per pound. The price is up 3 cents from last week's average of $1.40.

Cheese prices are down 11 percent overall compared with last year, when they averaged $1.59 per pound.

Wheat

Prices for wheat on the Minneapolis Grain Exchange closed at $7.26, down 19 cents from the previous week’s close of $7.45.

Wheat prices closed at $7.46 on Monday, $7.06 Tuesday, $7.11 per bushel Wednesday, and $7.24 per bushel Thursday.

Gasoline and diesel fuel

The nationwide average for regular unleaded gasoline was $2.87 per gallon Nov. 22, according to AAA and the Oil Price Information Service, down 2 cents from the previous week’s average of $2.89. Prices are up 2 percent from $2.82 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 $3.05 per gallon while premium unleaded as of Nov. 22 stood at just under $3.16 per gallon.

The nationwide average for diesel fuel stood at $3.19 per gallon Nov. 22, 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 Nov. 17, to $3.77 per million Btu (MMBtu).

Pizza company stocks

Shares in Pizza Hut parent Yum! Brands Inc. closed at $50.79 on Nov. 19, same as the previous week's close. 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 $14.39, down 26 cents compared with the previous Friday's close of $14.65. 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 $25.82, up 15 cents compared with the previous Friday's close of $25.67. 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 $38.50, up 47 cents compared with the previous week's close of $38.03. 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 $16.50 on Nov. 19, down 50 cents from the previous week's close of $17. CPKI traded as high as $22.92 in April 2010, and as low as $12.29 in December 2009.

Pizza Inn closed at $1.90 on Nov. 19, down 9 cents from the previous week's close of $1.99. 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 Robert Crum