News in brief

FIS, state to extend mentoring program

Fidelity National Information Services Inc., better known as FIS, and the state of Arkansas have announced the extension of the financial technology accelerator program that provides mentoring for 10 startup companies.

The extension means the program will be held next year.

FIS signed a three-year contract with the Little Rock Venture Center and the state of Arkansas when the program began in 2016.

"This program is a key element of our strategy to identify, invest in and bring to market the most modern, advanced financial technologies in the industry," said Gary Norcross, chief executive officer of FIS.

This year's program concluded on Wednesday with executives from the financial startup companies demonstrating their businesses to an audience of 400 banking executives, business leaders and investors.

FIS also has signed letters of intent with several of this year's startup companies. That means FIS is looking at integrating them into the FIS product line.

-- David Smith

Oaklawn takes home 8 marketing awards

Oaklawn's marketing department won eight Romero Awards on Thursday at the Gaming Marketing & Technology Conference in Las Vegas.

Oaklawn received four Gold Awards, three Silver Awards and an honorable mention for work promoting the casino.

Oaklawn has been competing in the large gaming property category the past four years as a result of its 2015 expansion.

"I'm extremely proud of our entire marketing department because these awards are a reflection of a huge team effort over the last year," Oaklawn marketing director Kim Baron said in a news release. "We are relatively new to gaming compared to our competition and it's great to know we are able to go head to head with some of the biggest names in the industry."

The Romero Awards are named for marketing pioneer John Romero, who died in 2015.

-- Noel Oman

State index nudges up 0.31 to 439.81

The Arkansas Index, a price-weighted index that tracks the largest public companies based in the state, gained 0.31 to 439.81 Thursday.

"Equities were pressured in afternoon trading with defensive sectors including real estate and utilities outperforming as the U.S. dollar came under pressure following remarks by President [Donald] Trump expressing concern over Federal Reserve interest rate hikes," 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 07/20/2018

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