Article

Natural gas and pizza stocks show mixed results

Cheese, wheat and gasoline and diesel fuel prices continued to fall last week while natural gas once again saw mixed results across the country.

January 19, 2015 by Nicole Troxell — Associate Editor, Networld Media Group

Cheese, wheat and gasoline and diesel fuel prices continued to fall last week while natural gas once again saw mixed results across the country. 

Pizza shares also show mixed results, with Papa Murphy's standing out above the rest at nearly a dollar from the previous week.

Here's a glimpse at the market this week.

Cheese

Cheese block prices fell $0.06 last week on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, coming in at an average of $1.52. The previous week's average was $1.58.

Prices were $1.59 Monday, $1.59 Tuesday, $1.47 Wednesday, $1.47 Thursday and $1.47 Friday.

Wheat

Wheat prices continued to fall last week by nearly $0.30, coming in at an average of $5.86 on the Minneapolis Grain Exchange. Last week's average price was $6.15.

Wheat closed at $5.95 Monday, $5.89 Tuesday, $5.81 Wednesday, $5.81 Thursday and $5.85 Friday.

Gasoline and diesel fuel

The nationwide average for regular unleaded gasoline is $2.06, down $0.07 from $2.13 the previous week, according to AAA and the Oil Price Information Service.

Mid-range unleaded is $2.29, while Monday's premium unleaded price is $2.74.
The nationwide average for diesel fuel is $2.90, a drop from $3.01 last week. Diesel prices are also down from $3.31 a month ago and $3.85 a year ago.

Natural Gas

Movements in natural gas spot prices were mixed across the country despite persistent cold weather over the report week. The Henry Hub spot rose from $3.07/ MMBtu last Wednesday, January 7, to $3.13/MMBtu yesterday.

At the New York Mercantile Exchange (Nymex), the February 2015 contract rose over the report period, beginning at $2.871/MMBtu last Wednesday and ending at $3.233/MMBtu yesterday.

Pizza company stocks

Shares in Pizza Hut parent Yum! Brands Inc. dropped to $72.43 Friday, down from $73.46. Shares were $72.79 two weeks ago.

Domino's finished last week at $98.49, down from $100.50 the previous week. The company is trading 3,000-percent higher than it was in 2010, before it revamped its recipe.

Papa John's finished at $61.98 Friday, a slight from increase from $61.79 the previous week. 

Papa Murphy's turned in at $12.06 Friday, up nearly a dollar from $11.09 the previous Friday. Shares were $11.35 two weeks ago.

About Nicole Troxell

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