News in brief

Nonprofits to split

$100M for job aid

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and the Wal-Mart Foundation have selected the first seven nonprofit organizations to receive a share of their $100 million commitment to help economic mobility of entry-level workers in retail and similar job sectors.

During the National Opportunity Summit in Washington, D.C.,Wal-Mart announced an initial investment of $16 million for Achieving the Dream, The ACT Foundation, Dress for Success, Goodwill Industries, Jobs for the Future, McKinsey Social Initiative and the National Able Network. Wal-Mart president and Chief Executive Officer Doug McMillon announced the $100 million commitment last week when unveiling wage, training and scheduling improvements for the company's hourly employees.

Wal-Mart said Thursday that the initial $16 million investment would help more than 12,000 workers in retail and related sectors. Among the services offered by the seven grant recipients are skills training, job-placement support and career advancement education.

State index rises;

trucker P.A.M. up

The Arkansas Index, a price-weighted index that tracks the largest public companies based in the state, climbed 1.78 to 398.92 on Thursday.

"U.S. stocks ended mostly lower on Thursday after a batch of mixed economic data weighed on the markets," said John Blackwell, senior vice president and managing director of equity trading at Stephens Inc. in Little Rock. "The Arkansas Index moved higher as 11 stocks advanced and six declined."

P.A.M. Transportation Services rose 4.9 percent on heavy volume.

USA Truck fell 1.3 percent in light trading.

Murphy Oil dropped 1.2 percent on average volume.

Total volume of the index was 21 million shares.

The index was developed by Bloomberg News and the Democrat-Gazette with a base value of 100 as of Dec. 30, 1997.

-- Chris Bahn

Business on 02/27/2015

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