A mixed start to the day with European bourses up almost across the board on
debt rescue package optimism plus news that the German Ifo business
confidence index rose to a record level in January (those Germans must love
ponying up for bailouts) as well as French business confidence just hitting a new
three-year high.  Asia is down for the most part on Chinese policy tightening
pessimism.  U.K. retail sales, however, were very weak today (-0.8% in
December).