Walton's heirs sell
1.2 million shares
The heirs of Walmart founder Sam Walton sold nearly 1.2 million shares of stock held in a trust earlier this week.
According to documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the shares sold on June 5 were part of the Walton Family Holdings Trust. The trust was established about three years ago by Walton Enterprises LLC, a holding company owned by Walton's heirs.
The sale from the trust included about 1.19 million shares sold in three separate transactions at various prices valued in total at about $100.75 million.
The Walton Family Trust has 79.81 million shares remaining after the transaction, according to documents. Walton Enterprises LLC holds 1.42 billion shares, about half of all outstanding shares.
Walmart shares fell 59 cents, or less than 1 percent, to close Friday at $84.36 on the New York Stock Exchange. Shares have traded as low as $73.13 and as high as $109.98 over the past year.
-- John Magsam
Transgender worker
settles with Walmart
Walmart Inc. settled a lawsuit this week brought by a transgender former worker who accused the retailer of illegally firing her after she made harassment claims against the company.
Bentonville-based Walmart and the plaintiff, Charlene Bost, reached a confidential settlement in a joint filing to dismiss the case in federal court in May. It became official on Wednesday. The company admitted no wrongdoing.
Walmart spokesman Randy Hargrove said the company values its diverse, inclusive workforce.
"We do not tolerate discrimination," he said.
Bost filed a complaint in North Carolina last year, two days after Christmas. She claimed her former employer, Sam's Club, made no meaningful attempt to investigate or stop harassment and discrimination she experienced at work.
After filing multiple complaints with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, she alleged the retail giant retaliated and "illegally terminated" her three years ago.
-- Nathan Owens
Arkansas Index rises
2.81, ends at 446.72
The Arkansas Index, a price-weighted index that tracks the largest public companies based in the state, rose 2.81 to close at 446.72 Friday.
Windstream rose 3.1 percent in light trading.
P.A.M. Transportation fell 2.4 percent on low volume.
Total volume for the index Friday was 19.7 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 06/09/2018