Index retreats 2.74, slumps below 320

The Arkansas Index, a price-weighted index that tracks the largest public companies based in the state, dropped 2.74 to 319.45 Wednesday, the first time it closed below 320 since April 11.

"U.S. stocks continued to retreat on Wednesday after a weaker-than-expected [Automated Data Processing] employment report," said John Blackwell, senior vice president and managing director of equity trading at Stephens Inc. in Little Rock.

Total volume for the index was 31.5 million shares.

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

Business on 05/05/2016

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