BUSINESS DIGEST ||

Northeast Ohio gas prices rise

YOUNGSTOWN

Northeast Ohio gas prices jumped by 12 cents this week to $2.40 per gallon, according to AAA East Central’s Gas Price Report.

The average price this week is $2.36 per gallon in the Youngstown area. Across the Great Lakes and Central regions, gas prices are as cheap as $2.20 in Missouri and as expensive as $2.60 in Michigan. For the week, Ohio motorists saw a 15-cent increase at the pump, while other states saw decreases.

Throughout the year, the region has been one of the most volatile – seeing prices take large jumps and declines from week to week.

US home prices surge 6.2 percent

WASHINGTON

U.S. home prices climbed a robust 6.2 percent from a year ago, amid strong demand from would-be buyers and a shrinking supply of properties for sale.

Standard & Poor’s said Tuesday that its S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller national home price index stood in October a solid 6 percent above its previous 2006 peak. Prices are rising at more than double the pace of wage growth, creating some affordability pressures that have been offset by relatively low mortgage rates.

Staff/wire reports

Selected local stocks

STOCK, DIVIDENDCLOSECHANGE

Alcoa Inc., .1250.350.36Aqua America, .71 38.790.27

Avalon Holdings,1.93-0.13

Chemical Bank, .274.04 0.0050

Community Health Sys.53.98-0.48

Cortland Bancorp, .2820.45-0.05

Farmers Nat., .1614.60-0.35

First Energy, 1.44 30.33-0.15

Fifth/Third, .5230.70-0.14

FirstMerit Corp.,--

First Niles Financial, .1211.150.00

FNB Corp., .4814.06-0.16

General Motors, 1.5241.80-0.22

General Electric, .9217.430.05

Huntington Bank, .28 14.63-0.15

iHeartMedia Inc.,0.52-0.03

JP Morgan Chase, 1.92107.02-0.43

Key Corp, .3420.33-0.11LaFarge, .34--

Macy’s, 1.51 26.851.18

Parker Hannifin, 2.52 198.93-0.32

PNC, 2.20144.86-1.26Simon Prop. Grp., 6.60169.352.28

Stoneridge 23.67-0.15

United Comm. Fin., .12 9.19-0.11

Selected prices from Tuesday’s 4 p.m. close.