2 Fort Smith clinics' boards OK merger
The boards of Fort Smith-based Cooper Clinic P.A. and Mercy Clinic Fort Smith have agreed to proceed with a plan to merge the two operations.
Board members from both organizations recently agreed the move would improve patient care in a way the two groups could not do separately, according to a release. The more than 400 employees of Cooper Clinic who work in multiple locations within a 45 mile radius of Fort Smith will join the Mercy system.
The transition will begin Nov. 1, according to the release. The possible move was first made public in late September.
Mercy Fort Smith operates hospitals and clinics serving more than 450,000 residents in 13 counties in Arkansas and Oklahoma.
-- John Magsam
Simmons completes purchase of 2 banks
Simmons First National Corp. completed its acquisition of two banks that pushed Simmons' assets to more than $14 billion, the Pine Bluff bank said Friday.
Simmons bought Southwest Bancorp of Stillwater, Okla., parent of Bank SNB, and First Texas BHC in Fort Worth, parent of Southwest Bank.
Simmons had about $9.1 billion in assets before the purchases closed.
The acquisitions give Simmons $11.2 billion in deposits and $10.4 billion in loans and moved it into three new markets -- Texas, Oklahoma and Colorado.
Simmons is to release its third-quarter earnings on Sunday at 5 p.m.
The bank's management will discuss the report in a conference call on Monday at 9:30 a.m. The call can be accessed by dialing (866) 298-7926 and providing the conference identification code 8453-6260.
-- David Smith
State index up 4.44 as 15 stocks climb
The Arkansas Index, a price-weighted index that tracks the largest public companies based in the state, rose 4.44 to 375.04 Friday.
Fifteen stocks advanced, and three declined.
Dillard's rose 4.7 percent in light trading.
Home BancShares fell 3.4 percent.
For the week, 11 of the 18 stocks advanced.
The index was developed by Bloomberg News and the Democrat-Gazette with a base value of 100 as of Dec. 30, 1997.
Business on 10/21/2017