State index up 2.03; ArcBest gains 2.6%

The Arkansas Index, a price-weighted index that tracks the largest public companies based in the state, gained 2.03 to 326.87 on Monday.

“The major averages advanced Monday as investors digested quarterly earnings releases and increased deal activity,” said Bob Williams, senior vice president and managing director of Simmons First Investment Group Inc. in Little Rock.

Fourteen stocks were up and four lost ground.

Shares of ArcBest Corp. rose 2.6 percent to lead the index.

Home BancShares, Inc. rose 2 percent in above average volume.

Total volume for the index was 19.4 million shares.

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