Article

Yum! Brands hits all-time high

Papa John's stock takes a hit following resignation of co-CEO.

April 24, 2011 by Alicia Kelso — Editor, QSRWeb.com

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Cheese

Average block cheese prices dropped a penny last week on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, coming in at an average of $1.61, down from $1.62 the previous week.

For the shortened week, prices were $1.62 Monday and Tuesday and $1.60 Wednesday and Thursday. Prices remain close to last year's average of $1.63 per pound.

Wheat

Wheat prices bounced back up to an average of $9.36 last week on the Minneapolis Grain Exchange, up from $9.05 the previous week.

Wheat closed at $9.14 Monday, $9.43 Tuesday, $9.38 Wednesday and $9.51 Thursday.

Gasoline and diesel fuel

Today's nationwide average for regular unleaded gasoline is $3.86, another rise from the previous week, in which prices were $3.83, according to AAA and the Oil Price Information Service. Prices also remain up from a month ago, when they were $3.57, and are up more than a dollar from this time last year, when consumers were paying $2.85 at the pump.

Gas prices continue to inch closer to the all-time high of $4.11 set in the summer of 2008.

Mid-range unleaded hit the $4 even mark, while premium unleaded Monday was $4.13.

The nationwide average for diesel fuel is $4.14, a penny more than the $4.13 per gallon last week. Diesel prices also remain up from $3.95 a month ago, and from $3.07 a year ago.

Natural Gas

Natural gas prices rose at most market locations during the week, as consumption increased. The Henry Hub spot price increased 19 cents from $4.14 per million Btu (MMBtu) on Wednesday, April 13 to $4.33 per MMBtu on Wednesday, April 20.

Pizza company stocks

Shares in Pizza Hut parent Yum! Brands Inc. closed at $53.65 Thursday, the company's all-time high set into motion after a strong earnings report boosted by growth in China. Yum! traded at a 52-week low of $38.53 in July 2010.

Domino's finished last week at $18.30, an increase from the previous week's closing of $18.06. Domino's hit its 52-week high, $18.47, earlier this month and traded as low as $10.99 in June 2010.

Papa John's stock closed at $30.09 Thursday, a big drop from its previous week's closing of $31.75, which was the company's 52-week high. The company traded at a 52-week low of $22.78 in July 2010. The company's stock dropped last week following news of the resignation of president and co-CEO J. Jude Thompson.

Shares in CEC Entertainment Inc., parent company of Chuck E. Cheese restaurants, closed at $37.03 Thursday, a bump from the previous week's closing of $36.69. CEC traded at a 52-week high of $41.79 in April 2010, and a 52-week low of $30.84 in August 2010.

California Pizza Kitchen closed at $16.09 Thursday, a slight increase from $16.06 the previous week. CPKI traded as high as $22.92 in April 2010 and as low as $13.19 in July 2010.

Pizza Inn turned in at $2.12 Thursday, up from $2.10 the previous Friday. PZZI traded at a 52-week high of $2.20 in April 2010, and a 52-week low of $1.77 in May 2010.

About Alicia Kelso

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Alicia has been a professional journalist for 15 years. Her work with FastCasual.com, QSRweb.com and PizzaMarketplace.com has been featured in publications around the world, including NPR, Good Morning America, Voice of Russia radio, Consumerist.com and Franchise Asia magazine.

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