Simmons First to Buy Delta Trust for $66M
Simmons First National Corp. of Pine Bluff is buying privately held Delta Trust & Banking Corp. of Little Rock, the pair announced Monday. Simmons CEO George Makris says the $66 million deal will...
View ArticleSimmons First Sues Mountain Pure for Defaulting on $16.5M in Loans
Simmons First National Bank has sued Mountain Pure and its owner, John B. Stacks, for defaulting on $16.5 million worth of loans. Meanwhile, Stacks is launching a website to offer his take on events...
View ArticleStephens Inc.'s Ethics Complaint Against Heath Abshure Dismissed
The Arkansas Ethics Commission voted 4-0, with one member not present, to dismiss the complaint against Arkansas Securities Commissioner Heath Abshure that Stephens General Counsel David Knight filed...
View ArticleAverage US 30-Year Mortgage Rate Rises to 4.40 Percent
Average U.S. rates on fixed mortgages rose this week in the wake of comments by Federal Reserve Chairman Janet Yellen suggesting that the Fed could start raising short-term interest rates by mid-2015.
View ArticleWal-Mart Sues Visa Over Card Fees, Alleges Conspiracy to Fix, Inflate
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is suing Visa Inc. over fees that it charges the world's largest retailer when customers use a credit or debit card. In a complaint filed with the U.S. District Court for the...
View ArticleFDIC Ends Consent Order With First Community Bank of Crawford County
The Federal Desposit Insurance Corporation has terminated a pair of enforcement actions against the First Community Bank of Crawford County, which is now owned by the First Bank of Hampton.
View ArticleGeorge Gleason II: The Wizard of Ozark Bankshares
When a restless George Gleason II turned his energies from securities law at the Rose Law Firm toward banking, he also met the familiar face of success. Working with business veteran Carl Holt and a...
View ArticleSam's Show: The Spectacle of Wal-Mart's 1988 Shareholders' Meeting
Standing here in northwest Arkansas amid the appreciative gathering with sky blue “What's Important Is You” banners hanging from the rafters and scoreboard, the messes is clear: God, America, Wal-Mart....
View ArticleHarvey & Bernice Jones Trust ‘Frost' Bitten?
H.G. “Jack” Frost Jr. was only a part-time employee of the Harvey and Bernice Jones Charitable Trust 1 in his position as trustee, but in fiscal year 1994 his salary tripled, giving him an annual...
View ArticleM. David Howell's Debts May Total $60 Million
M. David Howell, the former bank CEO in Little Rock and Fayetteville who died in a Beverly Hills hotel on Oct. 23, may have received $60 million or more from investors to whom he promised exorbitant...
View ArticleAndrew Kilgore: Portraits in Black and White
Beginning with the last issue of 1984 and continuing into 1988, Andrew Kilgore photographed business legends and up-and-comers for the cover of Arkansas Business.
View ArticleFlashbacks of Arkansas Business' First 30 Years (Editor's Note)
To celebrate Arkansas Business' 30th anniversary, the staff decided to pull out and reprint some of the stories that we felt were the most important, the most interesting and the most fun. Arkansas...
View ArticleKidnapped! Johnny Allison Describes Shocking Incident That Changed His Life
Johnny Allison, the manufactured-home magnate who apparently was kidnapped June 5 by escaped convict James Avery Slack and escaped by crashing his car into a dump truck, spoke to Arkansas Business...
View ArticleJanet Yellen: Job Market Needs Low Rates 'For Some Time'
Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen made clear Monday that she thinks the still-subpar U.S. job market will continue to need the help of low interest rates "for some time."
View ArticleSimmons First Bank's Searcy CEO Resigns, Will Remain A Director
Brooks Davis resigned as president and CEO of Simmons First Bank of Searcy, the bank announced Tuesday. But he will remain on the local board of directors.
View ArticleFormer Arvest Officer Dennis Smiley Under Investigation for Loan Fraud
H. Dennis Smiley Jr., the former CEO of Arvest Bank's operations in Benton County, is the subject of a federal criminal investigation for loan fraud. Smiley allegedly pledged repeatedly the same...
View ArticleBank of the Ozarks Raises Dividend to 23 Cents
Bank of the Ozarks Inc. of Little Rock said Tuesday that its board of directors approved a penny increase to its quarterly dividend.
View ArticleDelta Trust Sues Dennis Smiley Over $245,000 Loan
Delta Trust & Bank filed a lawsuit last week against the former CEO of Arvest Bank's Benton County operations after he failed to make the first payment on a loan made in February.
View ArticleFormer One Bank SVP Gary Rickenbach Indicted on Federal Bank Fraud Charges
A conspiracy charge seems to be related to a $1.5 million loan that has already resulted in bank fraud charges against the Florida borrower, Alberto Solaroli; other charges allege deliberate fraud...
View ArticleNew Charges Filed Against Andrew T. Melton
The former CFO of ThermoEnergy Corp., who was indicted on 12 counts of mail fraud more than a year ago, was charged Wednesday with five additional counts of employment tax fraud.
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