Crude oil is a naturally occurring material that is rich in hydrocarbons. The crude oil is pumped out of the ground and refined into the gasoline and other oil products. On the stock market, crude oil is considered a valuable energy commodity. Its daily value influences the price consumers pay for a gallon of gas at the pump. As the price of a barrel of crude oil escalates, so does the price of a gallon of gasoline.
Step 1
Follow current crude oil prices on Yahoo! Finance. The current price for a barrel of crude oil is tracked and updated daily. Included with the current price is the time of the last trade, the increase or decrease in percent from the last trade, and the current day's fluctuation in price. To access crude oil prices, go to Yahoo! Finance (see Resources) and select the "Investing" tab. Choose "Commodities" and click "Energy." The crude oil commodity is listed along with heating oil and natural gas.
Step 2
Track the price of crude oil on CNBC's Commodities page. Click on "Crude Oil" in the Energy Futures table. Everything about the trade -- from the day's high to the day's lowest trading price is listed. The volume of trades and average 10-day volume is also listed. CNBC also notes the percentage change in price. Click on any of the advance charts and view the changes in crude oil prices by hour, days, weeks or months.
Step 3
Find the current prices for crude oil on CNN Money. The energy index on CNN's Commodities page list crude oil's last floor and electronic trading price, and the last time each was updated is also noted. Electronic trades are often updated later than floor trades. CNN Money also includes the change in dollars since the last trade and the percentage change.