Gas Prices Slip, but Could Hit $4

Retail gasoline prices pulled back slightly from record levels Tuesday and gave some consumers a small break, but a new government forecast said gas could reach as high as $4 a gallon during the summer driving season.

Oil futures prices, meanwhile, fell as the dollar stabilized, giving investors an opportunity to lock in profits from crude’s recent rally. Limiting the declines were developments in Iran, which announced plans to expand its uranium enrichment program and said it has tested key equipment, a move that raised the market’s concerns about political conflict that could affect the country’s oil exports.

In its monthly report on petroleum supplies and demand, the Energy Department’s Energy Information Administration forecast that monthly average pump prices will peak near $3.60 a gallon in June, but could rise as high as $4 a gallon at times. That’s a dime higher than the EIA’s previous monthly average projection, and brings government forecasts closer to those of many analysts who expect gas prices to peak close to $4 a gallon. Read full story.