One of several articles that I've read over the past week discusses a trend that I think will be with us for a while...cheaper oil and therefore gas prices. In this morning's WSJ, there was an article titled "Oil Glut Ignites Gasoline Price Swoon." I think we're in a sustained period of declining oil prices. While some may view this as a negative sign for economic growth, I tend to disagree. The US is producing more oil and gas than any other time in its history. There don't seem to be many signs of this slowing down vs. OPEC that historically controls the supply of oil. This obviously leads to larger inventories worldwide and we all know that when supplies go up price declines usually follow. The USD is also strengthening against most currencies, making it more expensive to buy oil internationally, which could hamper demand. Finally, the trends of making everything more energy efficient/increasing usage of alternative energy sources keep a lid on oil demand surging too quickly IMO.