<strong>Pediatrics Plus has agreed to partner with Leavitt Equity Partners and Fulcrum Equity Partners</strong>

Stephens Inc. today announced Stan Osborne has joined as a Vice President for Public Finance in the firm’s Houston office. Mr. Osborne brings more than 20 years of school finance experience, most recently in Texas.

Stephens, an independent financial services firm, today announced an annual pledge of $250,000 to the Red Cross Disaster Responder Program. Through this pledge, Stephens will help the Disaster Responder Program quickly respond to disasters across the U.S., providing assistance to those in need.

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) for the month of December showed an increase of 0.4% m/m and +2.9% y/y. Compared to November that showed a m/m increase of 0.3% and a y/y change of +2.7%.

The Labor Department reported that <strong>initial jobless claims</strong> fell last week, but continuing claims surged again. The end of year can be very volatile due to the end of seasonal work, retirements and several other factors. First time claims in regular state programs recorded 201,000 for the week ending January 4th, after the prior week’s report of 211,000. The four-week moving average dropped to 213,000 from 223,250 the prior week. Continuing claims, which include people who have received unemployment benefits for a week or more, surged 33,000 to 1,867,000 for the week ending December 28th. The elevated continuing jobless claims are putting upward pressure on the median duration of unemployment, which rose to 10.5 weeks in November, up from 9.0 a year earlier. The insured unemployment rate, the number of people currently receiving unemployment insurance as a percentage of the labor force, remained at 1.2%.

<strong>CNB Financial Corporation has merged with ESSA Bancorp, Inc.</strong> | $214 Million | 01/10/2025

Profire Energy, Inc. has been acquired by CECO Environmental Corp. | $125 Million | 01/02/2025

Stephens, an independent, family-owned group of financial services firms, announced today that Miles Stephens and John Stephens have been named Co-Chief Executive Officers. They succeed their father, Warren Stephens upon his retirement as President and CEO, effective January 7, 2025. Warren Stephens will retain the title of Chairman. Further, Laura Brookshire (née Stephens), has been named Senior Executive Vice President and Chair of the Executive Committee, where she, alongside her brothers and the broader Stephens C-Suite, will play an integral role in the stewardship and continued growth of the firms. This transition marks Stephens’ third era of generational leadership, following Warren Stephens’ 39-year tenure as CEO of the 91-year-old family business that was built on a handshake between his uncle Witt and father Jackson T. Stephens.