Quarterly Business Luncheon to Examine Economic Uncertainty, Consumer Optimism, Regional Trends

The latest Quarterly Business Analysis luncheon will examine consumer optimism influenced by tax refunds and high gasoline prices, while also addressing key challenges contributing to ongoing economic uncertainty.

This quarterly luncheon will be offered June 4 by the Center for Business and Economic Research of the Sam M. Walton College of Business.

More than 1,000 individuals attend the center’s annual event, which was held in January and covered the economy at the global, U.S. and state level. It has been a mainstay for the Northwest Arkansas region planning and economic understanding for more than 25-plus years.

“The program will examine consumer optimism influenced by tax refunds and high gasoline prices and will address the key challenges contributing to ongoing economic uncertainty,” said Mervin Jebaraj, director of the Center for Business and Economic Research at the Sam M. Walton College of Business. “These include persistent inflation, employment trends, and the Federal Reserve’s current interest rate policy and its impact on housing and commercial real estate. As both the national and state economies confront these pressures, access to timely and reliable economic information is essential for informed business and policy decision making.”

Registration and networking will begin at 11:30 a.m. at the Hilton Garden Inn, 1325 N. Palak Drive in Fayetteville. Attendees will have the opportunity to network with Northwest Arkansas business and community leaders before the program begins at noon. The program will last approximately 60 minutes and include time for questions and answers.

The cost of the luncheon is $60, and preregistration is required by Wednesday, June 3. Reservations can be made at on the center’s website or by calling 479-575-4151.

The Quarterly Business Analysis program brings together leaders from the business, academic and governmental sectors to discuss business highlights from the previous quarter, key economic trends and projections, and immediate and long-term issues facing the regional and state economy.

Center for Business and Economic Research: The Center for Business and Economic Research, at the University of Arkansas’ Sam M. Walton College of Business, provides excellence in applied economic and business research to support informed decision making across Arkansas and the region.

About the Sam M. Walton College of Business: The Sam M. Walton College of Business at the University of Arkansas is one of the nation's leading public business schools, serving more than 10,300 students across undergraduate, master's and doctoral programs. Through applied learning, impactful research, and deep industry partnerships, Walton prepares leaders to compete and innovate in a global economy.

About the University of Arkansas: As Arkansas' flagship institution, the U of A provides an internationally competitive education in more than 200 academic programs. Founded in 1871, the U of A contributes more than $3 billion to Arkansas’ economy through the teaching of new knowledge and skills, entrepreneurship and job development, discovery through research and creative activity while also providing training for professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the U of A among the few U.S. colleges and universities with the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the U of A among the top public universities in the nation. See how the U of A works to build a better world at Arkansas Research and Economic Development News.