BUSINESS DIGEST ||
Century 21 expands
YOUNGSTOWN
Century 21 Lakeside Realty has acquired Gallagher, Clark and Carney Realty Group, the largest and top- producing real-estate company in Columbiana County.
Century 21 Lakeside Realty welcomes Clark and Carney Realty Group co-owners Sean Carney and Rick Clark and their 32 sales associates. The acquisition also expands its footprint with offices in Calcutta, Columbiana and Salem.
$3,500 for Habitat
BOARDMAN
Chemical Bank presented a $3,500 check Wednesday to benefit a Habitat for Humanity home to be built in Boardman on Erskine Avenue.
The Youngstown Columbiana Association of Realtors is collaborating with Habitat for Humanity of the Mahoning Valley to build the house.
Airport passengers
VIENNA
In May, the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport had 5,911 passengers, down from 9,500 passengers the airport had in May 2016.
Airbus leased
LAS VEGAS
Allegiant, the only commercial airliner in operation at the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport, recently announced an agreement with ALAFCO Aviation Lease and Finance Co. to lease 13 Airbus A320 aircraft. This agreement is another important step toward Allegiant’s planned transition to an all-Airbus fleet by 2019.
US retail sales slide 0.3 percent, biggest drop in 16 months
WASHINGTON
Americans cut spending at gasoline stations, department stores and electronics shops in May as retail sales registered their biggest drop in 16 months, a cautionary sign for the economy.
The Commerce Department said Wednesday that retail sales dropped 0.3 percent, the first decline since February and the sharpest since a 1-percent decrease in January 2016. Economists had expected sales to increase slightly in May after rising 0.4 percent in April.
Over the past year, retail sales have risen a solid 3.8 percent.
Last month, sales fell 2.8 percent at electronics stores, the biggest such drop since March 2016. They fell 2.4 percent at gasoline stations and 1 percent at department stores.
Stocks slip as investors seek safety after weak sales data
NEW YORK
U.S. stocks dipped Wednesday as investors worried about weak retail sales and oil prices sank.
The Commerce Department said retail spending decreased in May, which surprised experts.
Investors reacted by buying traditionally safe assets such as government bonds and high-dividend companies while selling stocks from other industries that depend more on economic growth. Bond yields hit their lowest level of 2017.
Oil prices also hit an annual low after the government’s weekly report on oil stockpiles.
Staff/wire reports
Selected local stocks
STOCK, DIVIDENDCLOSECHANGE
Alcoa Inc., .1231.53-0.95
Aqua America, .71 34.030.41
Avalon Holdings,2.63-0.25Chemical Bank, .2749.77-0.17Community Health Sys. 9.18 0.42
Cortland Bancorp, .2818.750.02Farmers Nat., .1614.85-0.10
First Energy, 1.44 29.580.21Fifth/Third, .5225.58 0.25FirstMerit Corp.,--First Niles Financial, .129.670.00
FNB Corp., .4814.51 0.02General Motors, 1.5234.620.11General Electric, .9228.71 0.26
Huntington Bank, .28 13.41 0.06iHeartMedia Inc.,1.800.00JP Morgan Chase, 1.9287.09-0.18
Key Corp, .3418.80 0.12LaFarge, .34--Macy’s, 1.51 22.75 0.49
Parker Hannifin, 2.52 157.05-1.40PNC, 2.20123.94 0.13Simon Prop. Grp., 6.60159.67 0.86Stoneridge 15.09-0.14United Comm. Fin., .12 8.89 0.01
Selected prices from Wednesday’s 4 p.m. close.