Article

Domino’s hits new 52-week high

Gas prices show no mercy.

May 1, 2011 by Alicia Kelso — Editor, QSRWeb.com

Cheese

Average block cheese prices dropped a penny last week on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, coming in at an average of $1.60, down from $1.61 the previous week.

Prices were $1.60 Monday through Thursday and $1.61 on Friday. Prices remain close to last year's average of $1.63 per pound.

Wheat

Wheat prices bounced back up to an average of $9.52 last week on the Minneapolis Grain Exchange, up from $9.36 the previous week.

Wheat closed at $9.80 Monday, $9.73 Tuesday, $9.47 Wednesday, $9.16 Thursday and $9.45 Friday.

Gasoline and diesel fuel

Today's nationwide average for regular unleaded gasoline is $3.95, a 9-cent jump from $3.86 the previous week, according to AAA and the Oil Price Information Service. Prices also remain up from a month ago, when they were $3.63, and are up more than a dollar from this time last year, when consumers were paying $2.88 at the pump.

Mid-range unleaded closed the week at $4.09, while premium unleaded Monday was $4.21.

The nationwide average for diesel fuel is $4.15, a penny more than the $4.14 per gallon last week. Diesel prices also remain up from $3.97 a month ago, and from $3.09 a year ago.

Continued unrest in the Middle East and the looming busy driving season are forcing gas prices up as they continue to inch closer to the all-time high of $4.11 set in the summer of 2008.

Natural Gas

Mild temperatures coupled with continued strong domestic production resulted in natural gas cash market prices dropping modestly at nearly all domestic pricing points over the week. The lone exception was the Henry Hub price which rose a token 2 cents per million Btu (MMBtu) (0.5 percent) to $4.35 per MMBtu on April 27.

Pizza company stocks

Shares in Pizza Hut parent Yum! Brands Inc. closed at $53.64 Friday, a drop of a penny from the previous week, which was the company's all-time high. Yum! traded at a 52-week low of $38.53 in July 2010.

Domino's finished last week at $18.57, the company's 52-week high. DPZ closed at $18.30 the previous week. Domino's traded as low as $10.99 in June 2010.

Papa John's stock closed at $30.06 Friday, a slight dip from its previous week's closing of $30.09. The company hit its 52-week high, $31.75, two weeks ago, then dropped following news of the resignation of president and co-CEO Jude Thompson. Papa John's traded at a 52-week low of $22.78 in July 2010.

Shares in CEC Entertainment Inc., parent company of Chuck E. Cheese restaurants, closed at $37.83 Friday, a boost from the previous week's closing of $37.03. CEC traded as high as $40.90 in December 2010, and a 52-week low of $30.44 in August 2010.

California Pizza Kitchen closed at $16 even Friday, a decrease from the previous week's closing of $16.09. CPKI traded as high as $20.79 in May 2010 and as low as $13.19 in July 2010.

Pizza Inn turned in at $2.07 Friday, a drop from its previous week's closing of $2.12. PZZI traded as high as $2.16 earlier this month and hit its 52-week low of $1.77 in May 2010.

About Alicia Kelso

---

None

Connect with Alicia: