BUSINESS DIGEST ||
Credit-card study
YOUNGSTOWN
In a recent study, Smart- Asset, a financial-technology company, found the places where people can save the most with a credit- card balance transfer, and Youngstown ranks No. 1.
Additional details on the study, including the methodology and interactive map, can be found here: https://smartasset.com/credit-cards/balance-transfer-credit-cards-guide/#Ohio.
Young professionals
YOUNGSTOWN
The Mahoning Valley Young Professionals will have an April mixer at The MVR, 410 N. Walnut St. at 5:30 p.m. Thursday.
The mixer will include bocce 101 for the novice and a bocce tournament. The tournament is $5 per person, with all proceeds going to the Beatitude House.
Appreciation day at Hollywood Gaming
AUSTINTOWN
Hollywood Gaming at Mahoning Valley Race Course will have its second Racing Fan Appreciation Day next Saturday, April 22, marking the end of the 2016-17 racing season.
The activities include: 10:30 a.m., question-and- answer seminar with the leading jockeys and trainer; Noon to 3:45 p.m., any racing fan using a Marquee Rewards card to wager on the day’s races will have a chance to be randomly selected for a free gift voucher; 12:15 p.m. to 3:45 p.m., T-shirt tosses in between each live race of the day; and at 3:45 p.m., a mandatory payout of the Buckeye Pick 6.
Disaster loans
WASHINGTON D.C.
U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, a Democrat from Cleveland, announced the U.S. Small Business Administration has made Economic Injury Disaster Loans available to small businesses, including those engaged in aquaculture, small agricultural cooperatives and private nonprofit organizations in Columbiana, Mahoning and Trumbull counties. These counties were adversely effected by the drought between May 1 and Dec. 10.
Applicants may apply online using the Electronic Loan Application (ELA) via SBA’s secure website at disasterloan.sba.gov/ela or by calling the SBA’s Customer Service Center at 800-659-2955 or by emailing disastercustomerservice@sba.gov. Loan applications can be downloaded from the SBA’s website at www.sba.gov/disaster.
US retail sales fell in March
WASHINGTON
Americans pulled back on their spending at auto dealers and restaurants in March, causing retail sales to drop despite signs of a healthy job market.
Retail sales fell a seasonally adjusted 0.2 percent, the Commerce Department said Friday, after a revised 0.3 percent drop in February. But over the past 12 months, retail sales have risen 5.2 percent, a sign that the economy remains on stable footing.
Still, there are signs that consumers are growing more cautious even though the unemployment rate declined in March to a low 4.5 percent.
Staff/wire reports
Selected local stocks
STOCK, DIVIDENDCLOSECHANGE
Alcoa Inc., .1230.99-1.06
Aqua America, .71 32.70-0.10
Avalon Holdings,2.34-0.05
Chemical Bank, .2746.76-1.29Community Health Sys. 9.10 0.22
Cortland Bancorp, .2818.650.05
Farmers Nat., .1612.90-0.05
First Energy, 1.44 31.27-0.34
Fifth/Third, .5223.93-0.40
FirstMerit Corp.,-0.00
First Niles Financial, .1210.000.00
FNB Corp., .4813.85-0.36
General Motors, 1.5233.39-0.55
General Electric, .9229.56-0.21
Huntington Bank, .28 12.59-0.27
iHeartMedia Inc.,3.210.26
JP Morgan Chase, 1.9284.40-1.00
Key Corp, .3417.00-0.17
LaFarge, .34-0.00
Macy’s, 1.51 29.170.00
Parker Hannifin, 2.52 153.59-1.83
PNC, 2.20115.80-0.20
Simon Prop. Grp., 6.60173.840.56
Stoneridge 17.17-0.21
United Comm. Fin., .12 8.06-0.13
Selected prices from Friday’s 4 p.m. close.