Finance

Ark Angel Alliance adds two to board, names new chair

The Ark Angel Alliance recently announced Amy Hopper Swan, Program Manager for the Arkansas Research Alliance (ARA), as the new board chair for a two-year term. The Ark Angel Alliance…

Revenue & Tax chair floats tax credit proposal, ready to move on balanced budget

State Senator Jimmy Hickey, R-Texarkana, said legislative leaders are ready to move forward with the state’s balanced budget process even though major policy objectives like prison and sentencing reform and…

Eyes on NWA: 2023 home prices to rise at least 5% in top markets, NAR says

The National Association of Realtors (NAR) recently named Northwest Arkansas, or the Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers metro, as a top real estate market to watch in 2023. According to NAR, Atlanta shows the…

NWA mortgage activity drops for 9th consecutive quarter

According to Attom Data Solutions, mortgage lending in Northwest Arkansas continues to decline after inflation fueled soaring home-loan rates. The California company, which tracks national housing and foreclosure data, issued…

Record sales tax growth continues in Jonesboro but budgeted revenues are down

The city of Jonesboro crushed its all-time monthly sales and use tax collection record in February. The city collected $2.635 million, an 8.8% ($212,546) uptick compared to the previous high…

Trent Brown named FNBC’s community president in Jonesboro

Trent Brown has been named community president for FNBC’s Jonesboro market. FNBC branched into Jonesboro in 2018 and opened its new, full-service office in 2021. “Trent’s banking knowledge coupled with…

Million-dollar residential acreage sale largest recent Craighead County land deal

Nadeau Partnership LLC made the most significant Craighead County residential and commercial property transfer, from Jan. 15 through Feb. 15, according to the Craighead County Assessor’s Office. The company spent…

Property appraiser shortage a problem in rural Arkansas

When banks make loans for property typically an appraisal is needed. If the transaction is $500,000 or less, the loaning institution can do it in-house. For transactions that exceed that…

Bentonville advisor with $600 million AUM is first in Arkansas for NewEdge Wealth

Connecticut-based NewEdge Wealth, a registered investment adviser (RIA), has hired its first financial advisor in Arkansas. Hunter Gehring of Bentonville, who previously worked for Arvest Wealth Management (AWM) in Lowell, officially…

Even after dismal 2022, stocks still best bet to retire rich

Last year was disappointing for investors who own stocks in their retirement accounts, as the S&P 500 index — which tracks the performance of the U.S. stock market — lost…

Burlsworth Foundation will present Legends Award to Little Rock business leader

The Brandon Burlsworth Foundation will present this year’s Legends Award to Little Rock business leader Kevin Scanlon. It recognizes leaders who’ve made significant contributions to Arkansas. Past honorees include John…

Flake & Company restores historic AP&L building

Flake & Company has completed its renovation of the historic Arkansas Power & Light (AP&L) building at 900 S. Louisiana St. in downtown Little Rock. The iconic structure will be…

Equity Bank promotes Harris to Arkansas market president

Wichita, Kan.-based Equity Bank has promoted Justin Harris of Harrison to president of the company’s Ozark Mountain region in Arkansas. That includes banks in Harrison, Berryville, Eureka Springs and Pea…

Arvest trio with $650M AUM moves to Legacy Capital

Little Rock-based independent wealth management firm Legacy Capital, a registered investment adviser (RIA), has expanded its reach by opening a new office in Northwest Arkansas. Brian Wood, Michael Peebles and…

Brad Eichler named Stephens Inc. COO, Curt Bradbury moves to Vice-chairman

Stephens Inc. announced Monday (Feb. 27) that Brad Eichler has been named Chief Operating Officer effective May 1, 2023. Eichler has led Stephens’ Investment Banking practice since 2015 and succeeds…

U.S. Treasury expands small business support program in Arkansas

The U.S. Treasury Department announced Thursday (Feb. 23) approval of five additional state and territory plans for up to $339 million in funding under the State Small Business Credit Initiative…

Arvest Bank claims groundbreaking lending capability using Thought Machine core technology

Fayetteville-chartered Arvest Bank has launched its first product using Thought Machine’s cloud-native core banking technology. According to a news release Thursday (Feb. 23), it took less than nine months for…

Southern Bancorp completes acquisition of Premier Bank in Northeast Arkansas

Southern Bancorp, Inc., a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) and the holding company for Southern Bancorp Bank, announced Wednesday (Feb. 22) the conversion of FCB Financial Services, Inc. and its…

Haag Brown, Roach Manufacturing Corp. to team on Steel Creek development in Trumann

For years, Haag Brown Development Principal Joshua Brown and his company have worked on development projects in some of Arkansas’ largest cities including Jonesboro, Conway, Fayetteville and others. He told…

Southern Bancorp CEO watching inflation, supportive of diversity efforts

Southern Bancorp CEO Darrin Williams wears a lot of different hats. He’s the CEO of the Arkadelphia-based financial institution, serves on the Federal Reserve Bank’s Little Rock branch, is a…