Up 2.62, index ends trade day at 605.26

The Arkansas Index, a price-weighted index that tracks the largest public companies based in the state, closed Thursday at 605.26, up 2.62.

“Strong employment and retail sales data released early in the day boosted investor sentiment as equities rallied led by the real estate and information technology sectors,” said Leon Lants, managing director at Stephens Inc.

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