News
Fed economist talks ag sector woes, consumer challenges
3+ hour, 35+ min ago (610+ words) by Kim Souza([emailprotected]) 22 minutes ago 19 views While there is growing uncertainty amid geopolitical conflicts, Arkansas businesses responding to the St. Louis Federal Reserve Bank Beige Book inquiries in mid-to-late February indicated more optimism than in the previous quarter. The…...
Beef prices to rise, cattle herd numbers to remain low
2+ week, 2+ day ago (826+ words) by Talk Business & Politics staff([emailprotected]) 2 hours ago 63 views Beef prices increased by 15% across the board in 2025 and are projected to rise even further this year. Low inventories are fueling the cost surge and there are little signs that producers…...
Economic forecast: Slower job growth likely, inflation rate to dip
1+ mon, 1+ week ago (744+ words) by Kim Souza([emailprotected]) 3 hours ago 69 views A central message delivered Friday (Jan. 30) by Mervin Jebaraj is that economic conditions in 2026 will look similar to 2025 with employment growth continuing to slow, and wages still just keeping pace with inflation that…...
NRF: Retail sales rose 3.54% in December from year ago
1+ mon, 4+ week ago (304+ words) by Kim Souza([emailprotected]) January 12, 2026 11:24 am 350 views The National Retail Federation (NRF) said December holiday sales rose 3.54% from the year-ago period and 1.26% from November.The trade group said the results put holiday sales in line with the record forecast of…...
Report shows continued weakness in Arkansas’ manufacturing sector
2+ mon, 1+ week ago (463+ words) by Talk Business & Politics staff([emailprotected]) 23 minutes ago 23 views Arkansas" overall economy improved in December, but the state"s manufacturing exports are down almost 5% in the first three quarters of the year, according to the Creighton University Mid-America Business Conditions…...
GDP up 4.3% in the third quarter, consumer confidence declines - Talk Business & Politics
2+ mon, 2+ week ago (289+ words) by Talk Business & Politics staff([emailprotected]) 21 hours ago 140 views Real gross domestic product (GDP) for the 2025 third quarter rose 4.3%, above second quarter growth of 3.8%, and above the consensus estimate of 3.2%. Prices continued to rise. In a separate report, consumer sentiment…...
The Supply Side: Boomer generation concedes spending power to young consumers
2+ mon, 3+ week ago (641+ words) by Kim Souza([emailprotected]) 7 seconds ago 0 views The baby boomer generation is about 73 million consumers between the ages of 60 and 79 and makes up about 33.7% of total U.S. sales annually, according to a report from Numerator. Five years ago, the boomer generation…...
November retail sales up 4.53% from year ago
2+ mon, 4+ week ago (321+ words) by Kim Souza([emailprotected]) 4 minutes ago 5 views The National Retail Federation's (NRF) monthly retail sales report indicates that total sales, excluding automobile dealers and gas stations, rose 4.53% from a year ago and increased slightly from the prior month. Core sales…...
Creighton report: November mid-America economic conditions decline
3+ mon, 1+ week ago (507+ words) by Talk Business & Politics staff([emailprotected]) 2 hours ago 19 views Business conditions in mid-America moved "below growth neutral" in November, according to the Creighton University Mid-America Business Conditions Index, which measures economic activity in a nine-state region from Minnesota to Arkansas....
NRF: Retail sales increased 5% in October
3+ mon, 4+ week ago (180+ words) by Kim Souza([emailprotected]) 7 minutes ago 7 views Consumer spending on retail goods in October increased by 5% from a year ago. On a monthly basis, retail sales were up 0.6%, according to the National Retail Federation's monthly Monitor report compiled by Affinity…...