BUSINESS DIGEST ||

Wal-Mart bonuses

YOUNGSTOWN

Wal-Mart recently announced that more than 850,000 Wal-Mart associates in the U.S., including 1,900 in the Youngstown area, and more than 29,000 in Ohio, have received a share of more than $157 million in cash bonuses based on their stores’ performance in the fourth quarter. The bonuses, along with an annual pay raise, was included in their March 9 paycheck.

Farmers merger

CANFIELD

Farmers National Banc Corp., the holding company for The Farmers National Bank of Canfield, and Monitor Bancorp Inc., the holding company for Monitor Bank, recently announced they have entered into an agreement and plan of merger.

Upon consummation of the transaction, Monitor Bank will be merged with and into The Farmers National Bank of Canfield. At that time, the Monitor Bank branch will become a branch of The Farmers National Bank of Canfield. Farmers estimates that, after the closing, it will have about $2 billion in assets and 39 banking locations throughout Ohio.

Geisler acquisition

BOARDMAN

The Agent Insurance Services, a fast-growing independent insurance agency, has successfully closed on its acquisition of Geisler Insurance Agency in Poland.

The Agent Insurance Services is an independent insurance agency located in Boardman and now in Poland. It offers extensive, cost-effective home, auto, business, life and health insurance solutions. The Agent began business in 1999 and now serves more than 3,000 customers in Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York.

New jobs at GM

DETROIT

General Motors announced it will add or retain about 900 jobs across three Michigan facilities during the next 12 months.

GM identified these job opportunities: Romulus Powertrain Plant, about 220 new jobs to increase production of the 10-speed automatic transmission to be used in multiple GM products, including the current 2017 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1; Flint Assembly Plant, about 180 retained jobs by redeploying team members from Lansing Delta Township to support production of the Chevrolet Silverado HD and GMC Sierra HD pick-up trucks; and Lansing Delta Township, about 500 retained jobs to support production of the all-new Chevrolet Traverse and Buick Enclave in the first quarter of 2018.

Disputed pipeline

BISMARCK, N.D.

A judge refused to head off the imminent flow of oil in the disputed Dakota Access pipeline, likely clearing the way for operations to begin next week.

U.S. District Judge James Boasberg in Washington, D.C., denied a request by the Standing Rock and Cheyenne River Sioux tribes to stop oil from flowing while the tribes appeal his decision last week allowing pipeline construction to finish.

Cheyenne River attorney Nicole Ducheneaux did not immediately respond to a request to comment.

Staff/wire reports

Selected local stocks

STOCK, DIVIDENDCLOSECHANGE

Alcoa Inc., .1235.040.85

Aqua America, .71 31.720.63

Avalon Holdings,2.92-0.09

Chemical Bank, .2753.730.37Community Health Sys. 9.57 0.39

Cortland Bancorp, .2818.61-0.12

Farmers Nat., .1613.750.35

First Energy, 1.44 31.600.60

Fifth/Third, .5226.44-0.31

FirstMerit Corp.,21.610.37

First Niles Financial, .1210.000.00

FNB Corp., .4815.39-0.31

General Motors, 1.5237.110.15

General Electric, .9229.760.22

Huntington Bank, .28 13.93-0.15

iHeartMedia Inc.,1.350.20

JP Morgan Chase, 1.9291.740.23

Key Corp, .3418.33-0.14

LaFarge, .3417.570.00

Macy’s, 1.51 30.32-0.63

Parker Hannifin, 2.52 159.572.52

PNC, 2.20125.24-0.98

Simon Prop. Grp., 6.60169.982.75

Stoneridge 19.260.31

United Comm. Fin., .12 8.52-0.03

Selected prices from Wednesday’s 4 p.m. close.