Article

Gas prices hit 6-year highs over holiday weekend

Public pizza company stocks ride the positive jobs report.

July 7, 2014 by Alicia Kelso — Editor, QSRWeb.com

The Dow Jones surpassed the 17,000 mark last week on a better-than-expected jobs report. According to CNBC, analysts said the all-time high numbers indicate a full recovery from a slow Q1, driven by severe weather.  

Gas prices have tempered a few cents after flirting with 6-year highs over the Fourth of July holiday. According to the AAA, U.S. drivers paid the most expensive July 4 gas prices since 2008, driven by continued Iraqi violence and higher global petroleum costs. 

Here's a glimpse at the market this week:

Cheese

Cheese prices fell below $2 last week on the Chicago Mercantile, averaging $1.97, from $2.02 the week prior.

Last week’s prices closed at $2 on Monday, $1.98 Tuesday, $1.97 Wednesday and $1.96 on Thursday. The markets were closed Friday for the Fourth of July holiday.

Wheat

The average cost of wheat continued to fall last week, averaging $6.58 on the Minneapolis Grain Exchange, from $6.79 the week prior.

Wheat was near the $8 mark two months ago, and is nearing its low marks from the beginning of the year, when the cost was around $6.02.

Last week, prices closed at $6.67 Monday, $6.57 Tuesday, $6.51 Wednesday and $6.60 on Thursday.

Gasoline and diesel fuel

The nationwide average price for regular unleaded fuel is $3.65, down 2 cents from $3.67 last Monday. According to the AAA and the Oil Price Information Service, prices a month ago were $3.65.

Last year at this time, consumers were paying $3.47 at the pump.

Today's mid-range unleaded is $3.84, down from $3.86 the week prior. Premium gas is $4.01, from $4.03.

Diesel fuel prices are averaging $3.89, down from $3.90 the week prior. The price of diesel fuel was $3.90 a month ago, and $3.81 a year ago.

Natural Gas

Natural gas prices decreased during the report week (June 25 to July 2) at most market locations for the second week in a row. The Henry Hub spot price decreased from $4.57/MMBtu June 25 to $4.39/MMBtu July 2.

At the New York Mercantile Exchange (Nymex), the August 2014 contract began the report week on June 25 at $4.569/MMBtu. By the end of trading July 2, it had decreased by 17.4 cents/MMBtu to $4.357/MMBtu. August took over as the front-month contract on June 27, supplanting the July contract, which settled at expiration at $4.400. The price of the 12-month strip also decreased, from $4.479/MMBtu June 25 to $4.289/MMBtu July 2.

Pizza company stocks

Shares of Pizza Hut parent Yum! Brands Inc. closed out last week at $81.92, up 20 cents from $81.72 the week prior. Yum! hit another fresh 52-week high earlier last week, at $82.13, riding the Wall Street wave. Its 52-week low was a year ago at $64.08.

Domino's finished last week at $73.42, up from $72.12 the week prior. DPZ hit a new lifetime high in March at $80.61. The company's 52-week low was $58.67 a year ago.

Papa John's shares finished last week at $42.67, up from $42.58 the week prior. PZZA hit its 52-week high in March at $55. Its low of $32.78 was a year ago.

Pizza Inn Holdings closed out last week at $6.19, up from $6.07 the week prior. The company’s 52-week high was $9.09 a year ago. It also traded as low as $5.38 a year ago.

Papa Murphy's closed out Friday at $9.78, up from $9.22 the week prior. In its third month on the NASDAQ, FRSH’s high/low is $12.10 and $8.32, respectively.

Photo provided by Wikipedia.

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