The European Central Bank is indebted to the hilt

The European Central Bank is indebted to the hilt and is beginning to look like one of the banks it has done so much to save.
Having subsidized the European banking industry with its 1 trillion euro ($1.29 trillion) long-term refinancing operation (LTRO), funds that were distributed at well below market prices, the central bank is leveraged to levels Bear Stearns and Lehman Brothers might have felt comfortable with in early 2007.

Stocks Higher on Wall Street

Positive economic data spurs a rise in the stock indexes
Stocks rose on Thursday December 22nd putting the Standard & Poor’s 500-stock index on the cusp of finishing out the year higher as another decline in jobless claims pointed to further improvement in the labor market.

These High-Tech IPOs Are Fueling the Nasdaq Rally

From the depths of the 2009 bottom, the Nasdaq is up 139%, hitting levels it hasn’t seen in more than 10 years.

In the last three months alone, the bellwether index is up nearly 19% — outpacing the 12% gain in the S&P 500.

But here’s the thing: It’s not all about Apple.

The high-tech IPO market is practically on fire. One of them is Jive Software (NASDAQ: JIVE).

Since Jive debuted last December, shares have jumped 25% from the offering price on the first day.

Since then, the stock has done nothing but power ahead. At the close of trading Thursday, Jive had nearly doubled in less than four months!