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Commodities: Unleaded gas prices on 12-day decline

Cheese prices were up again this week, while gas has fallen for 12 consecutive days.

August 3, 2015

Cheese prices were up again this week, while gas has fallen for 12 days in a row. Here's a look at the rest of the market.

Cheese

Average block cheese prices jumped another few cents this week after increasing 10 cents the previous week on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange.

Prices were $1.66 Monday, $1.64 Tuesday, $1.70 Wednesday, $1.74 Thursday and $1.77 Friday.

Wheat

Wheat prices dropped 22 cents this week, hitting $5.23 on the Minneapolis Grain Exchange.

Gasoline and diesel fuel

The national average price for regular unleaded gasoline has dropped for 12 days in a row, which is the longest consecutive decline since January. Today’s national average price is $2.71 per gallon, which is a nickel per gallon less than one week ago and seven cents less than one month ago, according to AAA and the Oil Price Information Service.

Prices are also down from $2.77 a month ago, and remain significantly lower from this time last year, when consumers were paying $3.50 at the pump.

Mid-range unleaded is $2.91, while Monday's premium unleaded price was $3.10. a 5-cent drop from last week.

The nationwide average for diesel fuel is $2.72, a drop from $2.76 last week. Diesel prices are also down from $2.84 a month ago, and remain much lower than last year’s average of $3.84.

Natural Gas

Natural gas prices showed a slight decline at the beginning of the report week, then moved back toward their starting point at most market locations by Sunday. The Henry Hub spot price began the week at $2.89 per million British thermal unit (MMBtu) last Wednesday, experienced minor volatility, and ended the report week up 1 cent, closing at $2.90 Sunday.

Pizza company stocks

Shares in Pizza Hut parent Yum! Brands Inc. closed Friday at $87.76, more than $1 higher than last Friday. Shares have dropped nearly $4 from three weeks ago when they closed at $90.46

Domino's finished last week at $113.4, up from $110.96 the previous week, but still lower than three weeks ago when shares closed at $115.92.

Papa John's may be on its way back up after falling for the past few weeks. It closed Friday at $75.56, up more than $1 from last week’s $74.32 Friday.

Shares in Papa Murphy’s closed at $19.30 Friday, falling from last week’s $19.85. Two weeks ago it closed at $20.15.