The national average retail price of regular gasoline rose 3.2 cents to $3.271 a gallon in the week ended Monday, the Energy Information Administration said. The rise follows a drop of 5.4 cents a gallon over the previous three weeks. Prices are the highest since Dec. 2 and are 1.4 cents above a year earlier. The current price marks the first time gasoline has topped the year-earlier level since July 29, EIA data show. In early October, when prices were at the lowest level since January, they lagged the year-earlier level by 48.3 cents a gallon. The latest price gain comes as reformulated gasoline blendstock futures on the New York Mercantile Exchange climbed 5.8%, or 15.38 cents a gallon, in five straight gains last week, amid signs of improving gasoline demand. Prices ended Friday at their highest level since Sept. 9. Current gasoline prices are […]