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Customers look at bagels at a Costco wholesale club store in Mountain View, Calif., earlier this month. The Labor Department said Wednesday that wholesale inflation dropped 0.6 percent in February.

Photo by PAUL SAKUMA / AP

Customers look at bagels at a Costco wholesale club store in Mountain View, Calif., earlier this month. The Labor Department said Wednesday that wholesale inflation dropped 0.6 percent in February.

ADVERSTISMENT

State’s January home sales drop

1.26% fewer houses move, but average price up 2.6% over ’09

By ALISON SIDER
Posted: March 19, 2010 2:19 a.m.

Arkansas home sales fell 1.26 percent in January, the first decline after four consecutive months in which sales increased over the previous year.
» Read story. | | Discuss

No inflation, little hiring seen in U.S.

By CHRISTOPHER S. RUGABER THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Posted: March 19, 2010 2:18 a.m.

The picture of an economy growing modestly without producing inflation yet struggling to create jobs emerged from government reports Thursday.
» Read story. | | Discuss

S FDIC near decision on special guarantee

Business ‘transaction’ accounts targeted

By MARCY GORDON THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Posted: March 19, 2010 2:17 a.m.

The head of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. said Thursday that the agency will decide soon whether to end a government guarantee for special deposit accounts in banks used by businesses.
» Read story. | | Discuss

S FedEx chief delivers upbeat report

Shipper expects widening economic growth for U.S., world

By SAMANTHA BOMKAMP THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Posted: March 19, 2010 2:16 a.m.

FedEx says the global economic recovery is broadening, as Asia continues to see strong growth and the U.S. economy gains steam.
» Read story. | | Discuss

S Current account gap less for ’09

Despite year-end rise, deficit shrinks

By BOB WILLIS BLOOMBERG NEWS
Posted: March 19, 2010 2:15 a.m.

The current account trade deficit in the U.S. widened to $115.6 billion in the final three months of 2009, reflecting a bigger gain in imports than exports.
» Read story. | | Discuss

S Developer’s filing bares debts of $169.6 million

By Stacey Roberts
Posted: March 19, 2010 2:14 a.m.

Court filings reveal Fayetteville real estate developer and investor John David Lindsey owes more than $169.6 million to creditors, more than $100 million of that to Arkansas banks.
» Read story. | | Discuss

S MARKET REPORT: Stocks mixed on economic data

By STEPHEN BERNARD THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Posted: March 19, 2010 2:12 a.m.

Stocks ended mixed Thursday after reports signaled that the economy is slowly regaining strength.
» Read story. | | Discuss

S NEWS IN BRIEF

By The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Posted: March 19, 2010 2:11 a.m.

PB bank chief’s pay in ’09 down from ’08 J. Thomas May, chairman and chief executive officer for Simmons First National Bank, earned about $635,000 last year, the Pine Bluff bank said Thursday in its proxy statement filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
» Read story. | | Discuss

S Business news in brief

By DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE PRESS SERVICES
Posted: March 19, 2010 2:11 a.m.

QUOTE OF THE DAY “I think it indicates not necessarily that home prices are rising, but that higher end of the market is showing a little more movement now.” Michael Pakko, state economic forecaster and chief economist at the Institute for Economic Advancement at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock Article, 1D
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Wholesale prices dip the most in 7 months

By MARTIN CRUTSINGER THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Posted: March 18, 2010 4:11 a.m.

Prices at the wholesale level fell in February by the largest amount in seven months as a drop in energy prices offset higher food costs.
» Read story. | | Discuss

Two plants on group’s mercury list

By David Smith
Posted: March 18, 2010 4:11 a.m.

Two Entergy Arkansas coal-fired power plants remain among the 50 worst mercury polluters in the country, according to a report released Wednesday by a nonprofit environmental organization.
» Read story. | | Discuss

S Trucker C. Bean ceases driving

Fort Smith site to remain open

By Steve Painter, Laurie Whalen
Posted: March 18, 2010 2:17 a.m.

C. Bean Transport Inc. of Fort Smith ceased over-the road operations Wednesday but will continue to operate its Fort Smith warehouse, according to Richard Bell of Bell Receivers LLC of North Little Rock.
» Read story. | | Discuss

S OPEC leaves output unaltered

Move aims to signal stability during global recession

By GEORGE JAHN THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Posted: March 18, 2010 2:16 a.m.

OPEC oil ministers on Wednesday opted to keep their output targets unchanged in a bid to keep prices at present levels and send a message of stability to energyhungry economies struggling to emerge from recession.
» Read story. | | Discuss

S Fed argues to keep all bank duties

By JEANNINE AVERSA AND JIM KUHNHENN THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Posted: March 18, 2010 2:15 a.m.

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke urged Congress on Wednesday to let the Fed keep all of its banking oversight, arguing that information gleaned from that process helps the central bank guide the economy.
» Read story. | | Discuss

S Roads, Internet key, say analysts

By Stacey Roberts
Posted: March 18, 2010 2:14 a.m.

Arkansas’ crumbling infrastructure needs to be addressed if the state wants to capitalize on the economic recovery when it comes, economists and state officials told those assembled for a teleconferenced breakfast briefing Wednesday.
» Read story. | | Discuss

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