US Home Sales Climbed 2.5% in May Amid Lower Mortgage Rates
U.S. home sales jumped 2.5% in May, as lower mortgage rates appeared to help buyers overcome affordability challenges. read more >
Banking & Finance
Fed Leaves Key Rate Unchanged but Hints of Future Cuts
The Federal Reserve left its key interest rate unchanged Wednesday but signaled that it's prepared to start cutting rates if needed to protect the U.S. economy from trade conflicts and other threats. read more >
Michael Powell To Lead Simmons Bank's Mortgage Division
Simmons Bank has named Michael Powell its mortgage division president. read more >
Tyronza Bancshares Acquisition Tops $8.4M
The purchase of Tyronza Bancshares Inc. by Big Creek Bancshares Inc. represents a nearly $8.5 million transaction. The acquisition of the parent company of Marked Tree's First Delta Bank is an all-cash deal. read more >
Premier Bank Expands Into Jonesboro
Premier Bank of Arkansas is making its first move outside Crittenden County by jumping into the $2.5 billion-deposit Jonesboro market. read more >
Dispute Settled over Former One Banc Branch
A lease dispute over a 2,876-SF former One Bank & Trust branch in west Little Rock is no more. read more >
Colonial Parc, Meadowcrest Combine for $11.5M Sale (Real Deals)
An affiliate of AMG Realty Group bought the 372-unit Colonial Parc Apartments and the 124-unit Meadowcrest Apartments from Colonial Park RBG LLC of West Plains, Missouri. read more >
Abaca Gets Seed Money for Marijuana Financial Business
A startup that offers financial services to the cannabis industry has scored $800,000 from investors. read more >
Bryce Goad Goes to Centennial Bank (Movers & Shakers)
Bryce Goad has joined Centennial Bank in Jonesboro as a commercial loan officer. read more >
Keith Little Named President of Mortgage Division at Centennial Bank
Keith Little has been named president of the Mortgage Division of Centennial Bank. read more >
Schwyhart Case Creates Work for 16 Lawyers
The Chapter 7 bankruptcy of former high-flying northwest Arkansas developer Bill Schwyhart has become an attorney's delight. read more >
Riverdale Retail Land Tops $8.3M (Real Deals)
Kappa Realty LLC, led by Chris Robertson, bought the 17.6-acre home of the Riverdale Shopping Center at 2500-2610 Cantrell Road from the Roman Catholic Diocese of Little Rock. read more >
Jay Meador Returns to IberiaBank (Movers & Shakers)
Jay Meador has rejoined IberiaBank as the new executive vice president and central Arkansas market president. read more >
John Allison, Marcy Doderer Headline Arkansas Business Executive Leadership Academy
Emerging leaders from business, nonprofit and policy sectors can again learn from some of the most successful and recognizable names in Arkansas as part of the Arkansas Business Executive Leadership Academy. read more >
Leslie Parnell to Oversee Treasury Management at Simmons Bank
Simmons Bank names Leslie Parnell senior vice president of treasury management and strategic development. read more >
Former McFadden Adviser Goes on Real Estate Selling Spree
Michael Vick, the onetime financial adviser and friend of Darren McFadden, has been busy recently converting debt-free real estate into cash. read more >
Millennial Incomes: Median Hits $69,000 in 2017
Median incomes of U.S. households are rising again, and “those headed by a Millennial (someone age 22 to 37) now earn more than young adult households did at nearly any time in the past 50 years,” according to the Pew Research Center. read more >
Fake It Till You Break It (Gwen Moritz Editor's Note)
Overestimating one's own competence is not really the news here. What's new is the consistency with which other people — complete strangers, even — interpret confidence as competence. read more >
And Now: Good News (Editorial)
We have suggested to Michael Pakko, the state economic forecaster, that the volume of Movers & Shakers landing in our queue be considered an economic indicator. By that indication, Arkansas' economy is humming. read more >
Transaction of $10.7M Flows to Chenal Creek (Real Deals)
An affiliate of Crow Holdings of Dallas bought the 27,718-SF retail center in west Little Rock. read more >
Simmons Bank Selects Jeff Richardson for Saline County (Movers & Shakers)
Jeff Richardson has been promoted to community executive for Simmons Bank in Saline County. read more >
Scott Miller Accepts State Banking Board Appointment (Movers & Shakers)
Scott Miller, the Boone County market president for Anstaff Bank of Green Forest, has been appointed to a five-year term on the Arkansas State Banking Board by Gov. Asa Hutchinson. read more >
Presenting the 40 Under 40 Class of 2019: An Annual List of Rising Stars
Meet 40 impressive young business and community leaders of Arkansas who will give you confidence that our state will be in good hands for decades to some. read more >
FDIC Enters Consent Order With 'Unsafe or Unsound' Home Bank of Arkansas
The April 8 order, which was released publicly by the FDIC on Friday, charges the leadership of the $76 million-asset lender with unsafe or unsound banking practices. read more >
Shane Sweetin Pleads Guilty to Lying On Loan Applications
Marcus Shane Sweetin of Little Rock pleaded guilty Thursday to making false statements on loan applications, costing AgHeritage Farm Credit, BancorpSouth Bank and Regions Bank more than $3.3 million. read more >
LR Accounting Firm Names 2 New Partners
Little Rock accounting firm Frost PLLC announced Wednesday the addition of two new partners: Robert Wolfe and Adam Jones. read more >
Karama Neal Tabulates Successes of Southern Bancorp Community Partners
Karama Neal, president of Southern Bancorp Community Partners, gives credit to "critical mix" that have kept her company at the forefront of public policy. read more >
First Security Bancorp Burgeons Into Big Time
These days, the First Security name is shared among 21 lenders in 15 states around the nation. But the biggest in the land by far is the $5.3 billion-asset financial institution that makes its home in Searcy. read more >
Acquisitions Alter List of 75 Largest Private Companies in Arkansas
The departures of five companies that were acquired in the past year made room at the bottom of the list for companies that had not made the cutoff last year — or ever. The price of entry to the list? $100 million read more >
Social Security Complex Sells for $7.4M (NWA Real Deals)
A Fayetteville investor paid $7.4 million for a 6-acre office complex on East Joyce Boulevard that is anchored by Fayetteville's Social Security Administration branch. read more >
Editors' Picks
