Block cheese averaged $1.48 for the short holiday week. Prices closed at $1.52 Monday, $1.50 on Tuesday, and $1.45 Wednesday and Thursday. Prices are up 29 cents, or 24 percent, compared with this time last year, when block cheese averaged just under $1.19 per pound. Wheat Wheat closed at $5.45 per bushel Thursday on the Minneapolis Grain Exchange, up 13 cents from the previous week's close of $5.32. Prices for wheat closed at $5.57 per bushel Monday, $5.49 per bushel Tuesday and $5.51 per bushel Wednesday. Gasoline and diesel fuel The nationwide average for regular unleaded gasoline was $2.66 per gallon Jan. 4, according to AAA and the Oil Price Information Service, up 6 cents from the previous week. Prices are down 1 percent from an average of $2.64 per gallon a month ago and up 60 percent from an average of $1.66 per gallon this time last year. Mid-range unleaded currently averages $2.83 per gallon while premium unleaded stands at $2.93 per gallon as of Jan. 4. The nationwide average price for diesel fuel stands at $2.83 per gallon Jan. 4, up 4 cents from last week. Diesel prices are up 17 percent from an average of $2.41 per gallon this time last year. Natural gas Changes in natural gas spot prices in the most report week ending Dec. 16 reflected extremely cold weather conditions moving across the country, according to the Energy Information Administration. In response to varying levels of demand for space heating, spot prices increased east of the Mississippi River but declined in the West. During the report week, the Henry Hub spot price increased 30 cents to $5.57 per million Btu (MMBtu). Pizza company stocks Shares in Pizza Hut parent Yum! Brands Inc. closed at $35.21 on Dec. 31, off 19 cents compared with the previous week's close of $35.40. YUM traded at a 52-week high of $36.96 in June 2009 and a 52-week low of $23.37 in March 2009. Domino's closed at $8.65, up 16 cents compared with the previous Friday's close of $8.49. Over the past 52 weeks, DPZ has traded as high as $10.07 in June 2009 and as low as $4.58 in January 2009. Papa John's stock closed at $24.11, off 56 cents compared with the previous Friday's close of $24.67. PZZA traded at a 52-week high of $29.25 in May 2009 and a 52-week low of $15.31 in January 2009. Shares in CEC Entertainment Inc., parent company of Chuck E. Cheese restaurants, closed at $32.58, off 10 cents compared with the previous week's close of $32.68. CEC traded at a 52-week high of $34.77 in July 2009 and a 52-week low of $19.29 in March 2009. California Pizza Kitchen closed at $13.85 on Dec. 31, off 37 cents compared with the previous week's close of $14.22. CPKI has traded as high as $17.44 in mid-April and as low as $8.03 in January 2009. Pizza Inn closed at $1.60 on Dec. 31, down 1 cent from the previous week's close of $1.61. PZZI traded at a 52-week high of $2.25 in June 2009 and a 52-week low of 98 cents in April 2009.