Price of gas jumps 17 cents in 2 weeksCAMARILLO, Calif. — The average price of gasoline has jumped by 17 cents over the past two weeks, to $2.02 a gallon for regular grade.Industry analyst Trilby Lundberg said Sunday the hike is due to growing demand for gasoline across the nation and higher crude oil prices.Lundberg says the increase is part of a trend that has seen the price spike nearly a quarter over four weeks.In the Lower 48 states, the highest average price of regular gasoline was $2.72 per gallon in Los Angeles. The lowest was $1.66 in Newark, N.J.The U.S. average diesel price is $2.15 per gallon, up about 9 cents from two weeks ago.

Sherwin-Williams buying rival ValsparWASHINGTON — Sherwin-Williams, which has long claimed to “cover the Earth” with its paints, is buying rival Valspar for $11.3 billion in a move that it says will expand its reach in Asia and Europe.Sherwin-Williams said Sunday it is paying $113 a share in cash, a 35 percent premium to the closing price of Valspar’s stock Friday. The combined company would employ 58,000 people and would have had revenue of $15.6 billion last year.John Morikis, president and CEO of Sherwin-Williams, said the deal will enable the companies to save $280 million annually within two years by cutting sales, administrative and other expenses. The savings should reach $320 million in the long-run, he said.Sherwin-Williams will remain headquartered in Cleveland, but said the combined companies will maintain a “significant presence” in Minneapolis, where Valspar is based.