U.S. Energy Prices Remain Strong
by:Tom Moeller
|in:Economy in Brief
Summary
- Gasoline prices edge downward.
- Crude oil prices move higher.
- Natural gas prices exhibit renewed strength.
Retail gasoline prices slipped to $4.23 per gallon last week (+48.4% y/y) from $4.24 per gallon in the week prior. Prices reached a record $4.32 per gallon one week earlier. Haver Analytics adjusts the gasoline price series for normal seasonal variation. The seasonally adjusted price rose to $4.24 per gallon from $4.21 in the prior week.
The price of West Texas Intermediate crude oil rose to $112.87 per barrel (88.2% y/y) in the week ended March 25 after falling to $100.47 in the week prior. Yesterday, the price fell to $105.96 per barrel. The average price of Brent crude oil rebounded to $123.60 per barrel last week (97.7% y/y) after easing to $109.59 in the prior week. It was the highest price since April 2012. The price was $114.50 per barrel yesterday.
The price of natural gas strengthened to $5.18/mmbtu (103.9% y/y) in the week of March 25 after easing to $4.68 in the previous week. It was the highest price since early-February. Prices remain below the high of $5.78/mmbtu in the third week of February 2022. Yesterday, the price rose to $5.52/mmbtu.
In the four weeks ended March 18, gasoline demand rose 4.0% y/y, down from 15.2% y/y late in December. Growth in demand for all petroleum products increased a steady 11.7% y/y. Growth in crude oil input to refineries rose 24.4% y/y, after 13.1% y/y growth early in November. Gasoline inventories rose 2.5% y/y but crude oil inventories declined 13.7% y/y.
The supply of gasoline inventories in the week ending March 18 fell to 27.0 days. The supply of crude oil slipped to 26.6 days and remained down from 41.8 days early in March of last year.
These data are reported by the Energy Information Administration of the U.S. Department of Energy. The price data can be found in Haver's WEEKLY and DAILY databases. Greater detail on prices, as well as the demand, production and inventory data are in USENERGY.
Tom Moeller
AuthorMore in Author Profile »Prior to joining Haver Analytics in 2000, Mr. Moeller worked as the Economist at Chancellor Capital Management from 1985 to 1999. There, he developed comprehensive economic forecasts and interpreted economic data for equity and fixed income portfolio managers. Also at Chancellor, Mr. Moeller worked as an equity analyst and was responsible for researching and rating companies in the economically sensitive automobile and housing industries for investment in Chancellor’s equity portfolio. Prior to joining Chancellor, Mr. Moeller was an Economist at Citibank from 1979 to 1984. He also analyzed pricing behavior in the metals industry for the Council on Wage and Price Stability in Washington, D.C. In 1999, Mr. Moeller received the award for most accurate forecast from the Forecasters' Club of New York. From 1990 to 1992 he was President of the New York Association for Business Economists. Mr. Moeller earned an M.B.A. in Finance from Fordham University, where he graduated in 1987. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from George Washington University.
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