That is the Oil Companies profit margin!!
205182
Probably about average. 20% of price is from taxes. The main problem is world demand. In Asia, people are not riding water buffalo anymore. Plus we don't have enough refineries (thanks to the tree huggers and hurricanes).
199746
"Reasonable" is completely subjective.  Exxon's profit margins have floated between 5-10% for the last 20 years.  The nominal amount of profit has gone up because their raw materials (crude oil) have gone up in price.  They should actually scale linearly with the price of crude oil assuming fixed net margins.\n\nTheir profit margin is actually pretty small compared to other companies.  It's just that they do massive sales.  370B in the ttm.  Even McDonald's (symbol MCD has higher margins).\n\nI posted a more complete argument over here: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=Agt6_O2xvS55gC8q24AuWYfsy6IX?qid=1006042628391\n\nAnyway, the question seems so one-sided that any form of logical argument isn't going to convince you.
641618
its no coincidence\n\neven if he is no longer in the oil industry...which I doubt...  I am sure he has his dirty little fingers in there somewhere...  he still has all his friends and cronies in the oil business that are making money hand over fist with these price increases.
509743
NOPE.... its case of oil!
591702
when the oil companies are making BILLIONS in profit at our expense so that they can pay themselves millions in bonuses, I would say that yes, gas prices are a scam
297974
YOU MUST BE STUPIDEST SHEER IDIOT  MORON TO ASK THIS.. AMERİCA İS SERVİNG FOR THE BİG BUSİNESSES İN ıRAQ.. THEY steal the petroleum in ıraq and 2 percent of the money obtained from the sales of the oıl pays for the poor american losses.\n\nSee my answers and questions to get enlightened
275167
There is NOT a supply shortage. Even OPEC and Saudi Arabia are saying there's no shortage. They are saying the gas prices should not be anywhere near as high as they are. What's raising the cost is that oil companies are gouging everyone because they basically have a collective monopoly, even though they're supposed to be in competition with each other. That's why oil companies keep scoring record profits each year while average Americans are getting poorer.
230729
Not that I am for this--But dear it wouldn't matter and why you ask---well here is an article--this is starting to open up a new can of worms--please understand--Anyone in the world could have all the oil in the world..and it really wouldn't matter at this point...\n\n$3-a-gallon gas: Blame Washington, not Big Oil\nWhat's driving up gas prices? It's not just higher crude costs; it's new regulations.\nNelson D. Schwartz\nMay 3, 2006: 2:20 PM EDT\n\n\n(FORTUNE Magazine) - With gas prices roaring past $3 a gallon and consumer fury rising even faster, Congress and the White House are engaged in a Kabuki-like ritual: pointing fingers at each other over who's to blame, while furiously attacking Big Oil for reaping gargantuan profits - as drivers get hosed at the pump.\n\nIf the politicians really want to figure out who's responsible for the latest round of price increases, though, they'd be better off looking in the mirror. That's because the rise isn't only due to higher crude costs. It's also fallout from some little-noticed provisions in the energy bill passed by Congress and signed into law by President Bush last summer.\n\nBuried in the 551-page energy bill - which was supposed to ease energy shortages, not worsen them - were new regulations governing what additives go into gasoline and how it's refined. Corn-based ethanol is replacing the petroleum-derived additive MTBE, but Congress timed this logistically tricky switchover to occur just as demand for gasoline peaked ahead of the summer driving season - right about now.\n\nThe end result is an extra strain on the refining and distribution system when it can least afford it.\n\n"It's too late now, but Congress has consistently failed to sequence regulatory requirements in a responsible fashion," says Bob Slaughter, president of the National Petrochemical & Refiners Association.\n\nAdds Larry Goldstein of the Petroleum Industry Research Foundation: "The gasoline crisis is made in the U.S.A., not in Iran or Venezuela or Nigeria. At least half the increase in gasoline prices is due to unintended consequences of the energy bill, but no one in Washington wants to admit that."\n\nIndeed, while crude prices have risen 21% since the end of 2005, gasoline is up 37% - a sign of just how stretched the system is. Congress's mistake, says Goldstein, was setting the new law to go into effect 270 days after it was signed - May 5 - rather than waiting until fall, when gas demand is typically on the downswing.\n\nNow the big question is, How high can gas go? Well, perhaps the only good thing that can be said about paying three bucks per gallon is that it seems to be slowing consumption - which should, in turn, reduce prices. Over a four-week period in April, says oil analyst Jamal Qureshi of consulting firm PFC Energy, U.S. gasoline demand dropped by half a percent, to just over nine million barrels a day. That may not sound like much, but it's a reversal from the 1.7% average annual increase in gas consumption the U.S. has experienced over the past decade. If $3 is indeed the tipping point at which consumers change their behavior and alter their driving habits, it's the one silver lining in an otherwise very dark cloud for drivers.\n\nThe wildcard in this scenario, of course, is the increasing risk of a military confrontation with Iran. If that happens, says Qureshi, "all bets are off." Given that crude oil accounts for 55% of the cost of each gallon of gas (refining accounts for 22%, taxes for 19%, and distribution and marketing for 4%), an upward spike in crude oil would push gas up even if the bottlenecks caused by the energy bill ease this summer.\n\nThat's why Red Cavaney, president of the American Petroleum Institute, says the answer in the short term is conservation. Washington is indeed being turned upside down when it's left to Cavaney, Big Oil's chief lobbyist, to talk conservat
285508
Why arn't gas companies allowed to make a profit? There are other industries that make more than the oil industry.  They have to make money for their stockholders just like every other company out there.
216261
http://finance.yahoo.com/q/hp?s=%5EGSPC
165884
Oil profits are part of the reason for the wars AND the limited capacity of refineries. I wonder what progress could have been made in the development of alternative energy supplies with the billions that have gone down the drain in those wars.
171382
The Bush family has made all there money for years of of oil and dirty deeds. If you research it you will find there was a deal with Sadam about a pipe line to be built, And when he refused we went to war!! These oil companies are making record profits!!! No one is doing anything to stop them. And oil is part of the reason we are at war, to control more oil!!
265418
they suck is all i know millions of barrels of oil outta the ground and charge lots of money for it .can you imagine drilling for water and hitting that black crap and think water sells by the gallon now to if they could charge for air they would watch out some day there will be a charge .
284399
The bastards are messing with us!  They are simply raising the prices to fatten up their wallets.  Their profits have raised by 30% and they keep changing the reasons for prices going up.  We never get a straight answer.  First its "a pipe broke and needs to be repaired so oil has gone up", then its "everyones using too much gas in their suvs", then its "we're negotiating to lower prices", um, excuse me but doesnt Bush OWN a refinery?
20167
First off, The entire iraqi war on terror was in part to protect the oils assets. Which means the Bush family fortune.\nYes it is a scam. Why else would oil commpany executives and CEOs be questioned and put ontrial and even scolded by our congress. They are making "Not billions" but Trillions of dollars off of common people while our government fabricates things to protect the oil assets. Are they truly in danger? Who knows.\nIts one huge cover up. Europe is used to paying 6 dollars per gallon. So we don't get any sympothy from them at all. They say quite your snivveling. but the truth is we are the ones getting scammed big time! is there anything we common folks can do about it, probably not or at least I am not sure.
272364
The gas prices can be helped if the pricks at exxon and all the other fuel manufacture's would lower the price.  They only reported a 50% increase in profit last year.  Yea I say they could do something about it!!!1
304386
Cost plus margin plus shipping equals selling price.