Walmart changing
format for meeting
Walmart Inc. is changing the format of its annual shareholders meeting, scheduling the business and entertainment portions on separate days this year.
The company revealed the changes in a news release Wednesday, saying it will hold about an hour-long meeting focused on shareholder votes on formal business and proxy proposals on May 30 at the John Q. Hammons Center in Rogers. The company will hold its celebration for employees and shareholders -- which will include presentations by Walmart executives -- at the University of Arkansas' Bud Walton Arena two days later on June 1.
The company said the change is "another evolution" for Walmart, whose first shareholders meeting was held in 1970 when founder Sam Walton gathered with five others at a coffee shop.
Walmart spokesman Randy Hargrove said Wednesday's business meeting will be available via webcast, and the company will recap the results during the event in Bud Walton Arena.
-- Robbie Neiswanger
2 UCA center events
to focus on projects
The University of Central Arkansas Center for Community and Economic Development will host two events in Conway focusing on developing small-scale commercial, residential and mixed-use projects.
Matthew Petty of Fayetteville will give a free lecture about the small-scale development movement at 1 p.m. April 5 at UCA's multiuse center at 1105 W. Oak St. Petty is a principal at the Infill Group, a member of the Fayetteville City Council and is the owner-developer of a mixed-use project currently under construction.
The center also brought in the non-profit Incremental Development Alliance for a daylong workshop for real estate developers and neighborhood and city leaders.
The workshop will be at the center's campus offices at 201 Donaghey Ave. For more information, visit uca.edu/go/develop or call Shelby Fiegel at (501) 450-5269.
-- Noel Oman
State index edges
up 0.79 to 402.32
The Arkansas Index, a price-weighted index that tracks the largest public companies based in the state, rose 0.79 to 402.32 Wednesday.
"Despite negative sentiment in technology stocks along with higher intraday volatility, the S&P 500 Index closed only moderately lower in anticipation of the end of first quarter trading as the real estate and telecommunication sectors outperformed," said Leon Lants, managing director at Stephens Inc. in Little Rock.
The index was developed by Bloomberg News and the Democrat-Gazette with a base value of 100 as of Dec. 30, 1997.
Business on 03/29/2018