News in brief

Home BancShares to report 2Q results

Home BancShares will release its second-quarter earnings today before the market opens, the Conway bank said.

Analysts project that Home BancShares, the parent company of Centennial Bank, will report average earnings of 44 cents a share, based on a survey of nine analysts conducted by Thomson Reuters.

A conference call discussing the quarter's results will be held at 1 p.m. today. Interested parties may listen to the call by dialing (877) 508-9586 and asking for the Home BancShares call.

Centennial Bank has offices in Arkansas, Florida, Alabama and New York City.

Home BancShares is the fourth-largest bank in Arkansas with total assets of $14.3 billion on March 31.

-- David Smith

Towns to get $2.8M in USDA assistance

Three towns in Arkansas will receive some $2.8 million in loans and grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's rural development program to improve their water and waste-disposal systems, the agency said Monday.

Leachville, in Mississippi County, will receive a $1.5 million USDA loan to improve and expand its wastewater system. The system was built in 1980 and is in need of upgrades, the USDA said. An extension will provide service to 29 new users in the city limits.

Wilmot, in Ashley County, will receive a grant of $814,000 and a $277,000 loan for upgrades to its wastewater-treatment system now in trouble with the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality. The USDA said the improvements will alleviate health hazards for 224 residential sewer users.

Amagon, in White County, will receive a $196,100 grant and $66,000 loan for improvements to its wastewater-treatment center.

Loans and grants announced Monday totaled $267 million for 103 projects in 35 states. Congress, for the current fiscal year, authorized a record $5.2 billion for such projects, up from $1.2 billion in fiscal 2017, the USDA said.

-- Stephen Steed

Arkansas Index down 1.64 to end at 439.50

The Arkansas Index, a price-weighted index that tracks the largest public companies based in the state, fell 1.64 to 439.50 Wednesday.

Major markets were mixed Wednesday.

"Equity market sentiment remains high bolstered by a strong earnings season with the S&P 500 index trading near levels last seen in March with the financials and industrials sectors leading the broader market," 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 07/19/2018

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