Passenger traffic up at 2 airports in state
Passenger traffic at the state's two largest commercial-service airports continued to climb in September.
Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport/Adams Field in Little Rock saw 183,725 passengers arrive and depart last month, a 6.92% increase over the 171,833 the state's largest airport saw in September 2018.
For the first nine months of 2019, passenger traffic at Clinton National was up 5.64% -- to 1,672,648 -- compared with the 1,583,303 who went through the airport during the same period a year ago.
Passenger traffic at Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport at Highfill, meanwhile, jumped to 153,971 in September, a 19% increase from the same month in 2018.
The state's second-largest airport has reported 1,365,447 passengers in the first nine months of 2019, a 16.98% increase from the same period last year.
-- Noel Oman
Governor dedicates week to chambers
Gov. Asa Hutchinson issued a proclamation Monday designating this week as Chamber of Commerce Week. The week recognizes contributions the economic development groups make to the state. There are more than 140 local chambers in Arkansas.
Also this week, the Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce will begin holding meetings statewide to address key issues affecting business in Arkansas, including the competitiveness of the state's business climate, the state chamber's legislative record during the 2019 general session, and other business issues.
The meetings begin Thursday in Searcy and Friday in Fayetteville. Meetings are scheduled across the state over the next month, concluding Nov. 14 in Fort Smith. Each meeting will begin at 11:30 a.m. and end at 1 p.m. The sessions are free to participants, and lunch is included. Registration is required through the state chamber's website, www.arkansasstatechamber.com/
-- Andrew Moreau
Index picks up 0.37 as seven stocks rise
The Arkansas Index, a price-weighted index that tracks the largest public companies based in the state, closed Monday at 435.35, up 0.37.
Seven Arkansas Index stocks posted gains, with P.A.M. Transportation Services rising 4.7%. Uniti Group shares rose 3.8%.
Shares of USA Truck fell 3.8%, and Dillard's Inc. dropped 2.4%.
Two index stocks were unchanged.
"Stocks ended Monday's session slightly lower as investors debate the implications of the partial trade deal reached last week between the U.S. and China," said Chris Harkins, managing director at Raymond James & Associates 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 10/15/2019