Roundup: Pending home sales / Arkel International / Dropbox

    Big jump: The National Association of Realtors (NAR) said Wednesday its pending home sales index rose 7.4% last month to 75.8 from 70.6 in August. September’s month-on-month increase was the largest since June 2020’s 14.9% gain, while on a year-over-year basis, the national sales rate was up 2.6%, the biggest jump in three years. Read more from Reuters.

    Competition: Baton Rouge-based Arkel International was awarded a spot on the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers Multiple Award Task Order Contracts and will compete for construction services. Most of the work will occur in Kwajalein and surrounding Islands and is being managed by the Honolulu Hawaii U.S Army Corps of Engineers District. The ordering period is through September 26, 2029.

    Workforce reduction: Dropbox plans to lay off 20% of its global workforce to make the business more efficient. The layoffs of 528 employees are expected to carry a cash cost of between $63 million and $68 million, mostly in severance payments, employee benefits and other related costs. Read more from The Wall Street Journal.