Article

Commodities: Yum! Stock reaches all-time high

Pizza Hut parent's good momentum aided by favorable earnings report. 

October 17, 2010

Cheese

Block cheese prices fell slightly last week on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, averaging $1.76 per pound, down 1 cent from the previous week.

Cheese prices are up 19 percent overall compared with last year, when they averaged $1.48 per pound.

Wheat

Prices for wheat on the Minneapolis Grain Exchange closed at $7.54, down 11 cents from the previous week’s close of 7.65.

Wheat prices closed at $7.50 on Monday, $7.54 on Tuesday, $7.51 per bushel Wednesday, and $7.50 per bushel Thursday.

Gasoline and diesel fuel

The nationwide average for regular unleaded gasoline was $2.83 per gallon October 18, according to AAA and the Oil Price Information Service, up 2 cents from the previous week’s average of 2.81. Prices are up 3 percent from $2.74 per gallon a month ago and up 11 percent from an average of $2.55 per gallon this time last year. Mid-range unleaded currently averages $3.01 per gallon while premium unleaded as of October 18 stood at just under $3.12 per gallon.

The nationwide average for diesel fuel stood at $3.10 per gallon October 18, up 1 percent from the previous week’s price of $3.08. Diesel prices are up 17 percent from an average of $2.63 per gallon this time last year.

Natural gas

Natural gas spot prices posted gains at most markets across the lower 48 States since Wednesday, October 6, accompanied by double-digit increases in trading since the holiday weekend, according to the Energy Information Administration. Price increases on the week ranged up to 25 cents per million Btu (MMBtu), with the Henry Hub natural gas spot price increasing $0.02 per MMBtu since last Wednesday, averaging $3.58 per MMBtu in trading October 13.

Pizza company stocks

Shares in Pizza Hut parent Yum! Brands Inc. closed at $48.85 on October 15 following a favorable earnings report, up $1.20 compared with the previous week's close of $47.65. Yum! traded at an all-time 52-week high of $48.90 in October 2010 and a 52-week low of $32.49 in October 2009.

Domino's closed at $14.62, up 44 cents compared with the previous Friday's close of $14.18. DPZ traded as high as $16.32 in April 2010 and as low as $7.09 in November 2009.

Papa John's stock closed at $26.96, down 11 cents compared with the previous Friday's close of $27.07. 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 $33.69, up 13 cents compared with the previous week's close of $33.56. CEC traded at a 52-week high of $41.79 in April 2010 and a 52-week low of $25.18 in October 2009.

California Pizza Kitchen closed at $17.70 on October 15, up 15 cents from the previous week's close of $17.55. CPKI traded as high as $22.92 in April 2010 and as low as $12.29 in December 2009.

Pizza Inn closed at $1.86 on October 15, up 1 cent from the previous week's close of $1.85. PZZI traded at a 52-week high of $2.20 in April 2010 and a 52-week low of $1.50 in December 2009.