Conway, PB banks to phone in earnings
Home BancShares of Conway and Simmons First National of Pine Bluff will release their second-quarter earnings today and conduct conference calls to discuss the results.
Home BancShares will hold a conference call at 1 p.m. Those interested in listening to the call can dial (877) 508-9586 and ask for the Home BancShares conference call.
Simmons' conference call begins at 3 p.m. and can be accessed by dialing (866) 298-7926 and asking for the Simmons First National call, with conference identification number 64281536.
-- David Smith
Energy efficiency topic of LR lunch
The Arkansas Advanced Energy Foundation will hold a luncheon Aug. 14 to discuss how energy efficiency can be part of the state's clean-power plan, the foundation said this week.
The event will begin at 11:30 a.m. at the Heifer Village conference room, 1 World Ave. in Little Rock, according to a news release.
The program is part of a series by the foundation that focuses on energy efficiency, according to the news release. The foundation is an educational affiliate of the Arkansas Advanced Energy Association.
Neal Elliott, the associate director for research for the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, will speak at the luncheon.
He will discuss energy-efficiency resources in Arkansas and how carbon reduction can lead to energy cost savings as well as job creation and technology advances.
Those interested in registering for the event can email info@arkansasadvancedenergy.com
-- Jessica Seaman
Index ekes out gain of 0.36, hits 351. 56
The Arkansas Index, a price-weighted index that tracks the largest public companies based in the state, rose 0.36 to 351.56 Wednesday.
"U.S. stocks rallied on Wednesday after it was revealed 21st Century Fox made a takeover bid for Time Warner and economic data showed U.S. industrial production rose in June," said John Blackwell, senior vice president and managing director of equity trading at Stephens Inc. in Little Rock.
"The Arkansas Index moved slightly higher as eight stocks advanced and nine declined," Blackwell said.
Shares of J.B. Hunt Transport rose 1.9 percent on three times its normal trading volume and Murphy Oil shares rose 1.5 percent in average volume.
Bank of the Ozarks lost 2.3 percent in heavy trading and Bear State Financial Inc. fell 2.5 percent. Shares of Acxiom Corp. fell 1 percent in average volume.
Total volume of the index was 17.8 million shares.
The index was developed by Bloomberg News and the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette with a base value of 100 as of Dec. 30, 1997.
Business on 07/17/2014