Thursday, February 23, 2012

Chart of the Day: Oil vs. Gasoline Prices

The chart above from GasBuddy shows retail gas prices and crude oil prices over the last three months.  Gas prices have increased by about 7.5% since November from $3.34 to $3.59 per gallon, while crude oil prices have increased by about 9%, from $97.25 to about $106 per barrel over the same period.  So there's really no mystery about why gasoline prices have gone up, is there?

Update: And why are oil prices going up? Nancy Pelosi blames "Wall Street profiteering" and "speculators."  (HT: W.C. Varones in the comments)

19 Comments:

At 2/23/2012 5:51 PM, Blogger W.C. Varones said...

Speculators and Republicans

 
At 2/23/2012 6:46 PM, Blogger Benjamin Cole said...

You mean oil is a global commodity, and the price set on global markets? And that demand is booming in India and China?

You mean Obama and the Fed can do little about oil prices? And that oil majors can do little either? So no one is actually ripping off the public less it be thug-monkey oil nations, like Saudi Arabia, Nigeria and Russia?

Probably the only actors who can effect oil prices are people able to match trades on the NYMEX. More than 80 percent of trading is speculative.

Perhaps Russia can corner the NYMEX oil market from time to time. They have the motive and the ability. Are they? Who knows?

But it is more fun to blame oil majors, Wall Street, Pelosi or Obama.

 
At 2/23/2012 7:51 PM, Blogger Eric H said...

"You mean Obama and the Fed can do little about oil prices?"

Yeah, I guess Pelosi and Obama were (still are) totally clueless about that.

Because they sure whined about it plenty and now have done nothing about it except keep moving the goalposts around.

 
At 2/23/2012 10:04 PM, Blogger Paul said...

"But it is more fun to blame oil majors, Wall Street, Pelosi or Obama."

I'm sure it was even more fun when you blamed it on Bush. Pelosi and Obama have had loads of fun blaming it on oil companies.

 
At 2/24/2012 2:28 AM, Blogger Ron H. said...

"More than 80 percent of trading is speculative. "

All trading is speculative.

 
At 2/24/2012 11:39 AM, Blogger bart said...

All trading is speculative.

+1


And why don't we hear from Pelosi, etc., when price decreases like WTIC dropping down to ~$30 from ~$140 are caused by the eeeeevil speculators.

 
At 2/24/2012 11:48 AM, Blogger Bobby Caygeon said...

First, we hear the President talk about the potential of Algae as an energy alternative to replace "up to" 17% of oil used for transports if only we can continue to make the "right investments". Second, we hear that the increase in oil is directly attributable to Wall Street/Speculators, evil oil companies, and Republicans.

These people are absolutely insane.

 
At 2/24/2012 11:49 AM, Blogger Bobby Caygeon said...

First, we hear the President talk about the potential of Algae as an energy alternative to replace "up to" 17% of oil used for transports if only we can continue to make the "right investments". Second, we hear that the increase in oil is directly attributable to Wall Street/Speculators, evil oil companies, and Republicans.

These people are absolutely insane.

 
At 2/24/2012 11:57 AM, Blogger Ron H. said...

Bart: "And why don't we hear from Pelosi, etc., when price decreases like WTIC dropping down to ~$30 from ~$140 are caused by the eeeeevil speculators."

Because, as we know, and Pelosi knows, it has nothing to do with speculators.

 
At 2/24/2012 12:43 PM, Blogger Che is dead said...

“Somehow, we have to figure out how to boost the price of gasoline to the levels in Europe.” -- Obama Administration Energy Secretary, Steven Chu

 
At 2/24/2012 1:07 PM, Blogger Paul said...

A little light reading for Benji:

From Today's WSJ:

"Fed officials and Mr. Obama want to take credit for easy money if stock-market and housing prices rise, but then deny any responsibility if commodity prices rise too, causing food and energy prices to soar for consumers. They can't have it both ways, as not-so-stupid Americans intuitively understand when they buy groceries or gas. This is the double-edged sword of an economic recovery "built to last" on easy money rather than on sound fiscal and regulatory policies."

 
At 2/24/2012 1:46 PM, Blogger juandos said...

"All trading is speculative"...

Zing!

Good one ron h...:-)

Over at American Thinker Joseph Svetlic says: "The real price of gasoline has gone down during the Obama administration. Gas is actually cheaper now"...

The real reason we are seeing high prices is due to Bernanke Bucks...

 
At 2/24/2012 3:01 PM, Blogger morganovich said...

"All trading is speculative."

i'd go even further:

almost all of life is speculative.

you make a prediction about the future, and you act.

talking to a girl in a bar is speculative. so is buying a house, a car, or taking an umbrella when you leave the house.

talk about outlandish doublespeak.

 
At 2/24/2012 3:24 PM, Blogger spotteddog said...

@juandos
The real reason we are seeing high prices is due to Bernanke Bucks...

tru....DXY is down about 5% in the last 3 months.

 
At 2/24/2012 5:27 PM, Blogger juandos said...

Warning: Not for the faint of heart

Nancy Pelosi said: "Independent reports confirm that speculators are driving up the cost of oil, hurting consumers and potentially damaging the economic recovery. Wall Street profiteering, not oil shortages, is the cause of the price spike. In fact, U.S. oil production is at its highest level since 2003, and millions of acres have been cleared for additional development blah blah blah and blah"...

Why those damn speculators! They're as bad as those job killing ATMs!

 
At 2/24/2012 5:45 PM, Blogger Paul said...

Juandos,

Don't forget the Ipad.

 
At 2/25/2012 11:35 AM, Blogger juandos said...

"Don't forget the Ipad"...

You know paul now you have me wondering if Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr and pseudo benny are the same person...

 
At 6/05/2012 10:38 AM, Blogger Unknown said...

Would be interesting to see this chart over 30 years instead of 3 months.

 
At 6/05/2012 10:39 AM, Blogger Unknown said...

Would be interesting to see this chart over 30 years instead of 3 months.

 

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