Finance

First National Bank of NWA to close Lowell branch

First National Bank of NWA will replace its Lowell branch with its new downtown Rogers branch, according to a Thursday (Feb. 6) news release. The bank will close the branch…

Encore Bank appoints new CFO, chief accounting officer

Little Rock-based Encore Bank announced Wednesday (Feb. 5) the appointment of Eric Movassaghi as its new chief financial officer. In this role, Movassaghi will steer Encore’s financial strategy as the…

State of the State 2025: Banking officials are optimistic about the sector

Arkansas’ banks are financially strong, and some could be seeking to acquire out-of-state properties. A recent survey showed that bankers across the country are hopeful the regulatory environment will improve…

Arkansas Realtors Association names Andrea Alford as CEO

The Arkansas Realtors Association (ARA) recently named industry veteran Andrea Alford as CEO. Most recently, Alford served as the executive director of the Arkansas Real Estate Commission (AREC), where she…

Connections: Washington Regional hires director of laboratory

Washington Regional Medical System and Baptist Health Cancer Center-Fort Smith announced new hires and promotions in recent weeks, including Tyler Giess moving from Texas to be director of laboratory at…

Car-Mart completes $200 million securities transaction

Rogers-based America’s Car-Mart Inc. has completed a $200 million securities transaction that was more than 10 times oversubscribed, according to a Monday (Feb. 3) news release. The weighted average coupon…

Rep. Hill outlines priorities for bank regulatory changes, cryptocurrency

U.S. Rep. French Hill, R-Little Rock, is the new chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, an influential panel that oversees the nation’s banking and securities sectors. Hill outlined his…

Forecast: Tariffs, housing costs present downside risks to national, state economies

On the same day significant and disruptive tariffs on Canada, China and Mexico were announced by President Donald Trump, economists spoke at a business luncheon in Rogers about the health…

Arvest secures naming rights to Tulsa convention center

The 275,000-square-foot Cox Business Convention Center in Tulsa will be renamed Arvest Convention Center after Fayetteville-chartered Arvest Bank reached a 10-year agreement for the naming rights, according to a Thursday…

Kum & Go property sells for $7.22 million

Johnson LLC made the most significant residential and commercial property transfer in Craighead County from Dec. 15 to Jan. 15, according to the Craighead County Assessor’s Office. The company spent…

Tort reform measure clears House Judiciary panel

A bill that would only allow an injured plaintiff to recoup the medical bills that are paid by an insurer was debated and approved in a special order of business…

St. Louis Fed Little Rock branch makes changes to board of directors

The Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis has announced the following changes to its Little Rock Branch board of directors, effective January 2025. Allison J.H. Thompson, president and CEO of…

Encore Bank promotes Massad, Howe to regional banking officers

Little Rock-based Encore Bank promoted Marc Massad and Chris Howe to regional banking officers, roles that will expand their duties from Colorado to Florida. “Marc and Chris have consistently demonstrated…

Real estate executives highlight 2025 report insights, issues

A recent real estate report surveyed participants who were optimistic that federal funds rate cuts would lead to a decline in long-term mortgage rates, but there’s been a divergence in…

White River Bancshares’ fourth quarter net income up over 130%

Fayetteville-based White River Bancshares Co., the holding company for Signature Bank of Arkansas, posted triple-digits earnings increases in the fourth-quarter and for 2024, the second-best year of earnings for the…

Stone Bank officially opens new Little Rock headquarters

Stone Bank invited the public to tour its newly remodeled Little Rock headquarters on Tuesday (Jan. 21) at an official ribbon cutting. The new location, at 12615 Chenal Parkway, in…

Fourth quarter income up 102% for Simmons First, full year income down 14.3%

Simmons First National Corp. on Tuesday (Jan. 21) posted fourth quarter net income of $48.3 million, well above the $23.9 million in the same quarter of 2023. Earnings per share…

Cross Bank appoints Jason Bland as chief retail officer

Cross Bank, based in Wynne, has hired Jason Bland to serve as chief retail officer, overseeing staff throughout their 10 locations. Bland comes to Cross Bank with more than 20…

First Western Bank names Willie Cowgur as Bentonville market president

First Western Bank named Willie Cowgur as Bentonville market president on Tuesday (Jan. 21). Cowgur joined First Western Bank in April 2022 as senior vice president, business development officer. He…

Tyler Spoon promoted to community president for The Bank of Fayetteville

Stuttgart-based The Farmers & Merchants Bank and The Bank of Fayetteville have named Tyler Spoon the community president in the Fayetteville region, according to a Tuesday (Jan. 21) news release….