NEWS IN BRIEF

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Wal-Mart sets call on fiscal ’14 take

Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the world’s largest retailer and the nation’s single largest employer, will announce its fourth-quarter and 2014 fiscal year earnings with a recorded phone call before the markets open Thursday.

Wal-Mart’s 2014 fiscal year began Feb. 1, 2013, and ended Jan. 31. The fourth quarter constitutes the last three months of the year.

Shareholders and others wishing to access the call in the United States and Canada can call (877) 523-5612 and use the access code 9256278, followed by the pound sign (#). All others can call (201) 689-8483 and use the same access code.

On the last day of its fiscal year, Wal-Mart eased back from its fourth quarter and full-year outlook, citing several factors, including the closure of about 50 under performing stores in China and Brazil, the reduction in food-stamp benefits that went into effect Nov. 1, and paralyzing winter weather that slowed traffic throughout the quarter.

Car-Mart to disclose 3rd-quarter earnings

Bentonville-based America’s Car-Mart will host a conference call today to discuss its third quarter earnings report.

The live call begins at 10 a.m. and can be heard by calling (877) 776-4031.

Callers are urged to call by 9:50 a.m. A webcast of the call will be available at the company’s website, carmart.com. The call replay will be available two hours after the call ends and for 30 days afterward.

The consensus estimate of five analysts is 70 cents per share for the quarter, with two predicting revenue of $126.7 million. For the third quarter in fiscal 2013, Car-Mart earned 84 cents a share, up from 73 cents, and booked revenue of $119 million, up from $105 million. The company has missed analysts’ earnings-per-share estimates the past two quarters.

America’s Car-Mart operates 130 dealerships in 10 states.

State index up 0.50 in mixed trading day

The Arkansas Index, a price-weighted index that tracks the largest public companies based in the state, rose 0.50 to 323.12 Tuesday.

“The major market averages were mixed as investors evaluated the latest release of economic data,” said Bob Williams, senior vice president and managing director of Delta Trust Investments Inc. in Little Rock.

On the extremes, Acxiom jumped almost 3 percent on light volume, while Murphy Oil dropped 2.5 percent in active trading, Williams said.

Tyson Foods hit a 52-week high, he said.

The index was developed by Bloomberg News and the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette with a base value of 100 as of Dec. 30, 1997.

Business, Pages 24 on 02/19/2014