Article

New 52-week highs for Domino's, Pizza Inn

Diesel fuel prices up from last week.

October 23, 2011 by Alicia Kelso — Editor, QSRWeb.com

Cheese

Average block cheese prices rose slightly to $1.72 on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, up from $1.70 the previous week.

Cheese prices closed at $1.71 Monday and $1.72 Tuesday through Friday.

Wheat

Wheat prices stayed above the $9 mark last week on the Minneapolis Grain Exchange, averaging $9.09, the same average from the previous week.

Prices remain down from a month ago and are expected to stay lower after a recent USDA report released predicted bigger surpluses.

Wheat closed at $8.95 Monday, $9.06 Tuesday, $9.11 Wednesday, $9.17 Thursday and $9.19 on Friday.

Gasoline and diesel fuel

After about a month of declining gas prices, today's nationwide average for regular unleaded fuel is $3.45, down a penny from last week, according to AAA and the Oil Price Information Service.

Prices remain down from $3.51 a month ago, but are up significantly from this time last year, when consumers were paying $2.81 at the pump.

Mid-range unleaded is $3.59, from $3.60 last week, while today's premium unleaded price is $3.72, from $3.73 last week.

The nationwide average for diesel fuel is up to $3.85 from $3.81 last week. The price of diesel fuel is down slightly from last month's $3.87, and up from this time last year when it cost $3.09.

Natural gas

Natural gas prices posted modest net gains at most market locations across the lower 48 states. The Henry Hub spot price increased from $3.54 per million Btu (MMBtu) on Wednesday, Oct. 12, to $3.58 per MMBtu on Oct. 19. Intra-week trading showed strong rallies followed by quick retreats.

Pizza company stocks

After a couple of weeks of uncertainty, the stock market continued to surge last week thanks to many big earnings reports, including one from McDonald's and Domino's.

Pizza Hut parent Yum! Brands Inc. closed last week at $53.74, up from $52.14 the previous week, and $49.24 two weeks ago. The company hit its 52-week high in August when shares were $56.72. Yum! traded as low as $46.40 in January.

Following a positive earnings report earlier in the week, Domino's closed last Friday at $32.25, its new 52-week high. The company was up from $28.32 the previous week and $26.63 two weeks ago. Shares remain substantially higher over this time last year when the company traded at $13.09 in October 2010.

Papa John's closed Friday up to $33.92, from $32.53 the previous week and $30.29 two weeks ago. The company hit its 52-week high in May at $34.27 and traded as low as $25.49 in October 2010.

CEC Entertainment Inc., parent company of Chuck E. Cheese restaurants, closed out last week at $30.67, from $31.00 the previous Friday. CEC hit a new 52-week low of $27.42 in September. The company hit its 52-week high of $41.75 in July.

Pizza Inn stocks ended at $4.90 Friday, up from $3.50 the previous Friday and the company's new 52-week high. This number came shortly after the company announced its expansion plans into the hot China market. PZZI traded as low as $1.83 in October 2010.

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