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Retail brokerage Charles Schwab Corp scored the highest points in customer satisfaction in the US last year, overtaking Fidelity Investments for the first time, an online survey showed.

Stocks finished narrowly mixed as investors appeared to be underwhelmed by President Obama’s budget proposal, while unrest in the Middle East has spread to Iran and even Bahrain.

Kenya has raised retail fuel prices to 98.08 shillings per litre of petrol sold in the capital for the next 30 days, from 95.60 shillings, the Daily Nation reported on Monday.

Two large international banks suspended operations in Ivory Coast on Monday as a power struggle following a disputed presidential election tightened its grip on the economy of the world's top cocoa grower.

South Africa's Competition Commission has recommended that retail group Wal-Mart's proposed acquisition of 51 percent of equity in Massmart be approved without conditions, the two companies said in a statement on Saturday.

Dili is the capital of East Timor or Timor Leste, one of the world's newest nations, and is slowly beginning to attract tourists nearly nine years after gaining independence. Reuters correspondents with local knowledge help you get the most out of a short stay.

De Beers, the world's largest diamond producer, returned to a profit in 2010 as production rose 34 percent and diamond prices recovered to pre-crisis levels, although it remains cautious about the market this year.

As the latest legal battle of the trouble-prone actress Lindsay Lohan began on her shoplifting charges, the focus of the public has completely shifted to the super-snug and super-short white dress she wore.

The top pre-market NASDAQ stock market gainers are: Sequenom, Whole Foods Market, Progenics Pharmaceuticals, Clearwire, and Xenoport. The top pre-market NASDAQ stock market losers are: Idenix Pharmaceuticals, EZchip Semiconductor, Amkor Technology, TriQuint Semiconductor, Akamai Technologies, and Cisco Systems.

AT&T, which is losing its hold on the iPhone to Verizon, has introduced a new feature to its customers that offers unlimited calling to any mobile number in the United States. AT&T's new offer is an attempt to counter an impending switch of iPhone customers to Verizon, which will be debuting iPhone 4 starting today.

The companies whose shares are gaining in early session on Wednesday are: Photronics, DSW, Atmel, Retail Ventures, Beacon Roofing, General Cable, Polo Ralph Lauren and Walt Disney.

Palo Alto, California-based start up Tello has launched a new mobile app that lets you rate the customer service of any employee at any business in just seconds.

The top after-market NYSE gainers on Tuesday are: St. Joe, Retail Ventures, DSW, General Cable and CBL & Associates. The top after-market NYSE losers on Tuesday are: USANA Health Sciences, Sims Metal Management, Life Time Fitness, Gaylord Entertainment and McMoRan Exploration.

Robert W. Baird forecasts inflation to upswing during the course of 2011, while inflation overall is expected to remain rather benign by historical standards. The brokerage said food and gasoline are among the items poised to see upward price pressure this year.

The number of victims of identity theft dropped by more than a quarter in the U.S. last year, the largest annual fall on record, but individual victims lost more money on average than ever before.

Mauritian holding company Ireland Blyth said it still expected improved full-year results, when posting a 68 percent fall in first-half pretax profit on Tuesday.

Wheat output in China, the world's largest producer and consumer of the grain, may be at risk after severe winter drought in its main northern producing regions, the United Nation's Food and Agriculture Organisation said.

Benchmark Capital said the sale of retailer Big Lots (NYSE: BIG) appears possible and private equity buyers could target the company, after Bloomberg reported that Big Lots is exploring strategic options.

T-Mobile is offering its phones for free in a two-day Valentine's Day promotion this weekend with a two-year qualifying contract.

The shipment of first batch of all-electric car Nissan Leaf has arrived in the north-east of England, the carmaker has confirmed.

McBride Plc, the maker own label products for retailers, said interim pretax profits dropped 31 percent amid rising raw materials costs and a weak retail environment, particularly in the UK.