Why Gasoline Prices Are Rising Faster Than Usual This Year

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Key Points

With gas prices the way they are, it doesnt make sense," said Malick, who lives outside of Kansas City, Mo., and is now spending as much as $20 more on gas a week..

Prices at the pump typically rise in the first half of the year as more Americans get back on the road and refiners transition to less-polluting summer blends..

Among the regions that have seen the fastest increases: the Salt Lake City area, where gas stations raised prices by about 65 cents to $3.77 a gallon over the past month..

Gasoline and shelter contributed more than 60% of the consumer-price indexs increase in February from a year ago, according to the Labor Department, marking the first month since September that spending at the pump edged higher..

On Wall Street, traders are betting those incoming supplies will help push wholesale gasoline prices lower starting in May..

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