Three banks with headquarters in central Arkansas were named to Forbes’ America’s Best Banks list for 2022, including the top two spots.
Home BancShares (NYSE:HOMB) was named No. 1 on Forbes’ America’s Best Banks list, and Bank OZK (NASDAQ:OZK) took the No. 2 spot. Simmons Bank (NASDAQ:SFNC) made the list at No. 44.
“These rankings continue to give attention to the strength of the financial services sector in central Arkansas,” Brad Lacy, president and CEO of the Conway Area Chamber of Commerce and Conway Development Corporation, said. “There are multiple, billion-dollar financial institutions headquartered in our backyard. It is often overshadowed in its importance to the state’s economy.”
Home BancShares – a bank holding company headquartered in Conway – has been ranked No. 1 on Forbes’ Best Banks lists twice before in 2018 and 2019. Centennial Bank, the wholly-owned subsidiary of Home BancShares, was included in Forbes’ World’s Best Banks list in 2020.
Centennial Bank has branch locations in Arkansas, Florida, South Alabama and New York City, and provides a broad range of commercial and retail banking plus related financial services to businesses, real estate developers, investors, individuals and municipalities.
Bank OZK, headquartered in Little Rock, has made the Best Banks list three times previously and has also been included in Forbes’ World’s Best Bank rankings multiple times. Simmons Bank, also headquartered in Little Rock, was included on Forbes’ World’s Best Banks and America’s Best Banks lists in 2021.
Forbes’ America’s Best Banks list ranks the 100 largest publicly traded banks by reviewing growth, credit quality and profitability.