A Foolish Take: The Dynamic Bank Based in Little Rock, Arkansas

Little Rock, Arkansas, isn't traditionally thought of as a major financial center. But at the rate the city's leading bank is growing, that could change.

Over the past decade, Bank of the Ozarks (NASDAQ: OZRK) has grown by a factor of six. It had $3 billion worth of assets on its balance sheet at the beginning of 2008. Today it has over $19 billion.

It's accomplished this by buying 15 other banks since the financial crisis, half of which were done with government assistance -- i.e., for pennies on the dollar and typically with some type of downside protection.

These deals have not only made Bank of the Ozarks' balance sheet bigger, but they've also expanded its geographic footprint. It now operates throughout the entire Southeastern U.S., as well as in Texas, California, and New York.

Shareholders in Bank of the Ozarks have benefited handsomely from its ascent. After factoring in dividends, its stock has returned more than 5,500% since the bank went public in the late 1990s. That compares to a 271% total return over the same time period for an exchange-traded fund that tracks the S&P 500.

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Offer from The Motley Fool: The 10 best stocks to buy nowMotley Fool co-founders Tom and David Gardner have spent more than a decade beating the market. In fact, the newsletter they run, Motley Fool Stock Advisor, has tripled the S&P 500!*

Tom and David just revealed their ten top stock picks for investors to buy right now.

Click here to get access to the full list!

*Stock Advisor returns as of June 5, 2017.

John Maxfield has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.