Boulder

City to accept outdoor dining applications in February

Restaurants and watering holes interested in participating in Boulder’s outdoor dining pilot program, which expands opportunities for restaurants and brewpubs to increase their outdoor seating areas year-round, can apply starting Feb. 1.

For more information, visit bouldercolorado.gov/services/outdoor-dining-pilot-program.

Ent Credit Union promotes Leclerc to CFO

Ent Credit Union, a financial institution with several branches open and planned in the Boulder Valley and Northern Colorado, has promoted Dan Leclerc to chief financial officer, effective immediately.

In the announcement issued Wednesday, Ent said Leclerc, who has been employed by the credit union for 10 years and has more than 20 years of experience in the field of finance, most recently held the role of senior vice president and deputy chief financial officer.

He replaces MJ Coon, who retired after 25 years of service at Ent.

As CFO, Leclerc will continue to focus on operational support, financial and accounting controls, and long-term strategy.

In his previous role, Leclerc’s responsibilities included developing strategic plans for Ent’s finance, treasury and profitability areas, overseeing the annual budget process and execution, month-end process and asset-liability management.

Prior to joining Ent in 2013, Leclerc provided strategic leadership within financial institutions in roles spanning CEO, CFO, information technology and operations. He holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting and a master’s in finance from Southern New Hampshire University.

— BizWest reports

Wall Street

Markets climb to hit best level in nearly eight weeks

NEW YORK >> Stocks rose Thursday to send Wall Street to its highest level in nearly eight weeks following reports suggesting the economy and corporate profits may be doing better than feared.

The S&P 500 climbed 1.1% to clinch its highest finish since Dec. 2.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 205 points, or 0.6%, while the Nasdaq composite rallied 1.8%.

More swings may still be ahead, as Wall Street digests a growing torrent of earnings and economic reports. Markets have veered up and down recently as worries about a severe recession and drop-off in profits battle against hopes the economy can manage a soft landing and the Federal Reserve may ease up on interest rates.

Thursday’s headline report showed the overall economy held up better through the last three months of 2022 than economists expected, even with the weight of all the rate hikes the Fed approved last year to combat inflation. According to the U.S. government’s first of three estimates on it, the economy’s growth slowed to an annual rate of 2.9% in the quarter, which was stronger than the 2.3% that economists had forecast.

— The Associated Press