Understanding the Many Factors That Determine Gasoline Prices

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Dec 24, 2014, 09:00 ET

CHICAGO, Dec. 24, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Millions of Americans are expected to make this holiday season one of the busiest for travel on record. Major relief at the pump means that many drivers will take longer road trips than a year ago. Across the U.S., consumers are paying the lowest average prices for gasoline in five years.

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Why was there such a steep plunge in gas prices after they were so high last summer? To understand why, you need to consider the series of factors that influence the price of oil, the commodity from which gasoline is produced.

Futures Fundamentals (www.futuresfundamentals.com), the new online resource aimed at helping educators, students, and the general public understand how markets and commodities impact everyday life, provides an easy-to-follow infographic titled The Facts Behind Oil Prices, which explains the many components that determine the price of fuel: from global demand, to the changing supply landscape to geopolitical issues and others.

Brought to you by CME Group, the world's leading and most diverse derivatives marketplace, this diagram follows the release of the Story of Oil, an educational video which chronicles the journey of oil from extraction, through transportation and storage, to the global marketplace, and eventually into the gas pump at your local station.

Futures Fundamentals, launched earlier this year, also tackles complex topics like mortgage rates and food prices, all in a style that will work for an economics teacher or a novice. Visit Futures Fundamentals today to better understand the market forces in the world around you.

About CME Group
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SOURCE CME Group