Hello friends and Fortune readers.
Oil prices, which fell steadily throughout the second half of 2014, are climbing on unrest in the Middle East as investors focus on concerns about airstrikes against rebels in Yemen. Though prices have climbed a bit today, it is important to note that the commodity’s price remains far off trading levels last summer.
Meanwhile, breaking news on the Germanwings plane crash in the French Alps earlier this week: a French prosecutor has said it seems like a co-pilot willingly destroyed the plane, according to various media reports. This update comes shortly after it was reported that a co-pilot of the plan was inside the cockpit while the captain remained locked outside minutes before the plane crashed.
Here’s what you need to know to start your day.
1. Oil prices leap after airstrikes in Yemen.
Crude oil prices jumped to their highest level in two weeks in Europe, after Saudi Arabia and some allies launched airstrikes against the Houthi rebels who have overrun much of Yemen. Prices have now surged 8% in the last 48 hours, Fortune has reported. Oil prices, which have been pressured by investor focus on high supplies thanks to an energy boom in the U.S., are generally quite sensitive to geopolitical problems in the Middle East and can swing wildly on news from that region. Yemen commands the gateway to the Red Sea and the Suez Canal, through which around 5% of the world’s oil passes, according to the Energy Information Administration.
2. Adidas flags a potential rebound.
German sportswear maker Adidas has unveiled plans to get new products into stores as quickly as 45 days, compared with an industry standard of 12-18 months, in a bid to become more hip and win back vital market share it has lost to Nike (NKE) and Under Armour (UA) in the U.S. The company has projected sales will rise in the high single digits on average until 2020, excluding the effects of currency swings. Much of the company’s focus is on targeting consumers in major cities, including New York and Los Angeles here in the United States. The company said it believes “global brands are created in global cities.”
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3. U.S. home prices are climbing faster than wages.
Wages climbed by 1.3% from the second quarter of 22012 to the second quarter of 2014, compared to a 17% increase in home prices for that same period, according to a new report from RealtyTrac. That means home prices have beat wages by a 13:1 ratio. Daren Blomquist, vice president at housing data provider RealtyTrac, said home prices have particularly spiked in markets deemed attractive to investors, international buyers and those that favor an all-cash purchase. In those markets, there is a particular disconnect between price growth and wage growth over the past two years, and RealtyTrac sees greater potential for prices to plateau this year until wages catch up.
4. Facebook bets users will want to talk to corporations.
Facebook (FB), which on Wednesday hosted a conference for developers in San Francisco, showed off a feature that would create an inbox to connect directly with businesses. Messenger, a standalone app that Facebook created that has 600 million users each month, was split last year from the core Facebook mobile app. A Facebook executive said “commerce is conversational,” as the company contends that it is important for businesses to talk with consumers rather than broadcast to them.
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5. Private-equity backed buyouts are slowing.
U.S. private-equity buyouts are at their lowest dollar volume since 2012, and fewer leveraged buyouts are being funded above the debt level that regulators deem risky, according to the Wall Street Journal. It appears banks have been more closely following guidance regulators set in 2013, which sought to curb how much debt banks could extend for corporate takeovers. Firms spent $17.14 billion buying U.S. companies as of Wednesday, the lowest dollar volume at this point in the year since 2012 and representing the fewest deals since 2010, according to data provider Dealogic.
