Oil and gas executives said the price-per-barrel of oil will drop significantly by the end of the year, according to the results of a survey conducted by KPMG LLP’s Global Energy Institute. Oil was selling at $125 a barrel today. When KPMG polled 372 financial executives from oil and gas companies last month, 55 percent of the respondents said that the price-per-barrel of crude oil will drop below $100 by the end of the year. Twenty-one percent said the price will close between $101 and $110; 15 percent said between $111 and $120; and 9 percent believe it will close at above $120. And though 44 percent felt that prices would peak by the end of the year, a further 39 percent thought that they would not peak until after 2010.

FBL Financial Group Inc. announced Thursday that net income totaled $6.4 million, or 21 cents per share, for the quarter ended March 31, compared with $24.1 million, or 80 cents per share, in the year-ago quarter. Operating income totaled $15 million, or 50 cents per share, for the quarter, compared with $22.1 million, or 73 cents per share, for the same period last year. Operating income differs from net income in that it excludes the impact of realized/unrealized gains and losses on investments, the change in net unrealized gains and losses on derivatives and the cumulative effect of changes in accounting principle.

For the third time, Toyota of Des Moines, 4475 Merle Hay Road, has won Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. Inc.’s President’s Award for outstanding sales and service. The award recognizes Toyota dealerships that achieve high standards of performance in all facets of the automotive dealer profession, including vehicle and parts sales, service and customer satisfaction. Toyota of Des Moines is owned by Charles Gabus and general manager Steve Luebke.