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Banking & Finance / Government & Politics

Powell Says Fed ‘Well Positioned’ for ‘Risks and Uncertainties’ That Lie Ahead

The Fed Chair also said the central bank has launched a second review of its policy strategies and its communications tools. read more >
Banking & Finance / Construction / Government & Politics

US Economy Grows Solid 2.3% in Q4, 2.8% for Full Year of 2024

Consumer spending in the fourth quarter grew at a 4.2% pace, fastest since January-March 2023 and up from 3.7% in July-September last year. read more >
Banking & Finance / Government & Politics / Investments

Fed Hold Rates Steady, Sees Inflation as ‘Elevated,’ as Powell Declines Comment on Trump

In a statement, the Fed said the job market is “solid,” and noted that the unemployment rate “has stabilized at a low level in recent months.” read more >
Banking & Finance / Government & Politics / Real Estate

Federal Reserve Expected to Stand Pat On Rates Even as Trump Demands Cuts

The Fed's two-day meeting that ends Wednesday may be uneventful, it nevertheless kicks off what is likely to be a turbulent year for the central bank. read more >
Arvest Bank again led the state with $930 million in loans originating in Arkansas, a 15% increase from 2023. [Google Maps]

Arkansas Mortgage Market Rebounds in 2024, With Arvest Leading the WayLock Icon

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 >
Banking & Finance / Public Companies

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 >
Banking & Finance / Government & Politics / Health Care

US Added a Strong 256,000 Jobs In December as Unemployment Rate Dipped To 4.1%

The monthly numbers beat forecasters’ expectation of around 155,000 new jobs and 4.2% unemployment. read more >
Banking & Finance / Construction / Investments

Corporate Earnings Growth Faces Uncertainty Amid Inflation Worries, Policy Shift Impact

The Federal Reserve's path ahead for interest rates remains a factor for companies and consumers looking for less pressure on borrowing costs. read more >
Government & Politics / Investments / Real Estate

How the Stock Market Defied Expectations Again This Year, by the Numbers

U.S. stocks ripped higher and carried the S&P 500 to records as the economy kept growing and the Federal Reserve began cutting interest rates. read more >
Agriculture & Poultry / Banking & Finance / Business Services

Top Stories of 2024Lock Icon

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 >
Banking & Finance / Government & Politics / Investments

Federal Reserve Cuts Its Key Rate but Envisions Fewer Reductions Next Year

The central bank's expectation of just two rate cuts in 2025 rattled Wall Street, sending stock prices plummeting in the worst day for the market in four months. read more >
Banking & Finance / Government & Politics / Investments

Federal Reserve Is Likely to Slow Its Rate Cuts With Inflation Pressures Still Elevated

The problem is that while inflation has dropped far below its peak of 9.1% in mid-2022, it remains stubbornly above the Fed's 2% target. read more >
Health Care

US Added a Strong 227,000 Jobs In November In Bounce-Back From October Slowdown

Friday’s report from the Labor Department provided the latest evidence that the U.S. job market remains durable even though it has lost significant momentum from the 2021-2023 hiring boom. read more >
Banking & Finance / Investments / Real Estate

Federal Reserve’s Likely Slowdown In Rate Cuts Could Disappoint Borrowers

Several surprisingly strong economic reports, combined with President-elect Donald Trump's policy proposals, have led to a decidedly more cautious tone from the Fed that could mean fewer cuts and higher interest rates than had been expected. read more >
Banking & Finance / Small Business

Powell Says Fed Will Likely Cut Rates Cautiously Given Persistent Inflation Pressures

Powell, speaking in Dallas, said that inflation is edging closer to the central bank's 2% target, “but it is not there yet." At the same time, he said, the economy is strong, and the policymakers can take time to monitor the path of inflation. read more >
Banking & Finance / Government & Politics / Investments

Federal Reserve Cuts Its Key Interest Rate by a Quarter-Point Amid Postelection Uncertainty

The rate cut follows a larger half-point reduction in September, and it reflects the Fed’s renewed focus on supporting the job market as well as fighting inflation, which now barely exceeds the central bank’s 2% target. read more >
Banking & Finance / Construction / Industry

Falling Mortgage Rates May Be Prompting More Homeowners to Sell, Boosting Inventory for Buyers

The number of newly listed homes for sale climbed 4.2% last month, according to data from Realtor.com. September's jump was the biggest annual increase since the peak of the spring homebuying season, and helped lift active listings 34% from a year earlier, according to Realtor.com. read more >
Banking & Finance / Construction / Insurance

US Inflation Reaches Lowest Point In 3 Years, Though Some Price Pressures Remain

Taken as a whole, the September figures show that inflation is steadily easing back to the Fed's 2% target, even if in an uneven pattern. That decline suggests that the Fed will likely keep cutting its benchmark interest rate this year. read more >
Business Services / Small Business

US Jobless Claims Hit 258,000, the Most In a Year. Analysts Point to Hurricane Helene, Boeing Strike

Outside of the weather and labor strife, some recent labor market data has suggested that high interest rates may finally be taking a toll on the labor market. read more >
Banking & Finance / Government & Politics / Investments

Fed Chair Powell Says the US Economy is in ‘Solid Shape’ With Gradual Rate Cuts Coming

His comments, at a conference of the National Association for Business Economics in Nashville, Tennessee, disappointed the hopes of many investors that the Fed would implement another steep half-point reduction in its key rate before the end of the year. read more >