Monday, February 27, 2012

an tSionna: Gasoline



"As a result of ongoing geopolitical tensions (e.g. Iran) as well a spotty but generally improving global economy, the price of crude oil continues to trend higher. Since the end of September, the cost of one barrel of crude oil has increased by over $30. With oil prices trending higher, it is not all that surprising to find that gasoline prices are following suit. The average US price for a gallon of unleaded is up $1.87 per gallon since the financial crisis low. Over the past two months, gasoline prices have resumed their upward trend with an increase of $0.35 per gallon. There a couple points of interest from today's chart. For one, Middle East crises are often associated with major swings in the price of gasoline. Also, gasoline price spikes have often occurred prior to an economic downturn. In the end, gasoline prices have rarely been higher than current levels and considering the fragility of the current global economy, gasoline/oil prices are something to watch going forward."