  We outline a method for characterizing deviations from the properties of a
Standard Model (SM) Higgs boson. We apply it to current data in order to
characterize up to which degree the SM Higgs boson interpretation is consistent
with experiment. We find that the SM Higgs boson is consistent with the current
data set at the 82 % confidence level, based on data of excess events reported
by CMS and ATLAS, which are interpreted to be related to the mass scale mh =
124-126 GeV, and on published CL_s exclusion regions. We perform a global fit
in terms of two parameters characterizing the deviation from the SM value in
the gauge and fermion couplings of a Higgs boson. We find two minima in the
global fit and identify observables that can remove this degeneracy. An update
for Moriond 2012 data is included in the Appendix, which finds that the SM
Higgs boson is now consistent with the current data set at only the 94 %
confidence level (which corresponds to ~ 2 sigma tension compared to the best
fit point).

High Energy Physics - Phenomenology;High Energy Physics - Experiment