interest rates
Fed’s Waller Says Rate Cut In March Is a ‘Coin Flip’ Following a Strong US Jobs Report
Waller's hedging is a notable shift from January, when he was one of the two Fed governors to dissent against the central bank's decision to hold its key rate steady. read more >
by Associated Press -
Chris Gosnell on How Arkansas Banks Are Preparing for 2026 in a Changing Economy
Gosnell's answers for his executive Q & A provide just a peek into what 2026 will bring for banking. read more >
A Movers Economy (Hunter Field Editor’s Note)
I’m reading the economic signs with optimism as we close out the final two quarters of 2025. read more >
by Hunter Field -
![Arvest Bank again led the state with $930 million in loans originating in Arkansas, a 15% increase from 2023. [Google Maps]](https://dqndh7utxx63f.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Screenshot_2025-01-21_at_2.10.11_PM_opt-300x194.jpg)
Arkansas Mortgage Market Rebounds in 2024, With Arvest Leading the Way
Of the 12 mortgage lenders that have shared information with Arkansas Business for the past two years, eight of them saw an increase in overall value of mortgages that originated in Arkansas. Five of those institutions saw gains of 10% or more. read more >
by Marty Cook -
Bank OZK’s Q4 Profit Rises 4.1% as New Sectors Power Loan Growth
The Little Rock-based lender posted its ninth straight quarter of record profits, with earnings and revenue topping Wall Street forecasts. read more >
Top Stories of 2024
Interest rates, the top business story of 2023, moderated in 2024, but insurance costs continued to skyrocket, sending last year’s No. 3 story to the top of this year’s annual list. read more >
A Delicate Dance (Hunter Field Editor’s Note)
An influx of federal cash has propped up several industries; now eyes are on the Fed. read more >
by Hunter Field -
Municipal Bond Market Surges on Election-year Uncertainty, Fed Inaction
Arkansas’ contribution to the national five-month tally of muni bonds issued this year amounted to about $352 million. A mix of state and local government entities, including school districts, issued 22 muni bond offerings. read more >
by George Waldon -
Arkansas CEOs Feel Economy On Track, but Labor Costs and Hiring Pose Challenges
Executives are also closely watching the November general election, which could shift control of the White House and Congress, potentially flipping the direction of the country on taxation, regulation, infrastructure investment and a whole host of other policies. read more >
Another Month of Robust US Job Growth Points to Continued Economic Strength
Friday’s report from the Labor Department also showed that the unemployment rate dipped from 3.9% to 3.8%. read more >
by Associated Press -
Average Long-Term US Mortgage Rate Rises Modestly This Week, Holding Just Below 7%
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The average long-term U.S. mortgage rate rose modestly this week, holding below 7% as it has for much of this year. The average rate on a […] read more >
by Associated Press -
Powell: Fed Still Sees Rate Cuts This Year; Election Timing Won’t Affect Decision
“The recent data do not ... materially change the overall picture,” Powell said in a speech at Stanford University. read more >
by Associated Press -
Powell Says Fed Wants to See ‘More Good Inflation Readings’ Before it Can Cut Rates
Speaking at a conference at the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, he said he still expected "inflation to come down on a sometimes bumpy path to 2%.'' read more >
by Associated Press -
US Economic Growth for Last Quarter is Revised Up to a Healthy 3.4%
It marked the sixth straight quarter in which the economy has grown at an annual rate above 2%. read more >
February Home Sales Hit Strongest Pace in a Year
The pickup in sales helped push up home prices compared with a year earlier for the eighth month in a row. read more >
Skyline Report: Northwest Arkansas Home Sales Down, Inventory Up
New construction accounted for 39.9% of the homes sold in the second half of 2023, the highest percentage the report has found. read more >
Average Long-Term US Mortgage Rate Declines to Levels Last Seen in Early February
Despite the choppy trajectory in mortgage rates this year, the average rate on a 30-year home loan is still down from the 23-year high of 7.79% it reached in late October. read more >
by Associated Press -
Federal Reserve Signals That Interest Rate Cuts Aren’t Imminent, Leaves Them Unchanged
“I don’t think it’s likely that the committee will reach a level of confidence by the time of the March meeting” to start cutting rates, Chair Jerome Powell said at a news conference. read more >
US Worker Paycheck Growth Slowed Late Last Year, Pointing to Cooling in a Very Strong Job Market
Compensation as measured by the government's Employment Cost Index rose 0.9% in the October-December quarter, down from a 1.1% increase in the previous quarter. read more >
by Scott Carroll -
White River Bancshares Reports Deposit Growth, Falling Profits in Q4
With interest rates rising, time deposits accounted for the majority of deposit growth year-over-year. read more >
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