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Commodities: Natural gas, wheat prices remain low

While cheese prices have jumped about 10 cents since last week, wheat prices are still low.

July 27, 2015

While cheese prices have jumped about 10 cents since last week, wheat prices are still low.

Cheese

Average block cheese prices jumped about 10 cents between Monday and Friday last week on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange.

Prices were $1.59 Monday, $1.67 Tuesday, $1.66 Wednesday, $1.71 Thursday and $1.70 Friday.

Wheat

Wheat prices are staying super low. The week's average was $5.45 on the Minneapolis Grain Exchange.

Gasoline and diesel fuel

Monday's nationwide average for regular unleaded gasoline was $2.71, down 4 cents from $2.75 the previous week, according to AAA and the Oil Price Information Service.

Prices are also down from $2.78 a month ago, and remain significantly lower from this time last year, when consumers were paying $3.52 at the pump.

Mid-range unleaded is $2.96, while Monday's premium unleaded price was $3.16.

The nationwide average for diesel fuel is $2.76, a drop from $2.80 last week. Diesel prices are also down from $2.85 a month ago, and remain much lower than last year’s average of $3.84.

Natural Gas

Natural gas prices were flat or slightly down at most market locations. The Henry Hub spot price began the week at $2.92 per million British thermal unit (MMBtu) last week and ended the report week down a few cents, closing at $2.89 Friday.
At the New York Mercantile Exchange (Nymex), the August contract began the week at $2.918/MMBtu last week and decreased by 2 cents to settle at $2.897.

Pizza company stocks

Shares in Pizza Hut parent Yum! Brands Inc. closed at 86.71 Friday, down more than $1 from 87.88 the previous week. Shares have dropped nearly $4 from two weeks ago when they closed at $90.46

Domino's finished last week at $110.96, up from $110.04 the previous week, but much lower than two weeks ago when shares closed at $115.92.

Papa John's has fallen for the past three weeks in a row. It finished at $74.32 Friday, a notable drop from $76.63 the previous week and $77.97 the week prior.

Shares in Papa Murphy’s closed at $19.85 Friday, a decline from $20.15 the previous Friday.