Czech Republic - Factors To Watch on Oct 1

                                
 PRAGUE, Oct 1 (Reuters) - Here are news stories, press
reports and events to watch which may affect Czech financial
markets on Friday.
                                
 ALL TIMES GMT (Czech Republic: GMT + 2 hours)

=========================ECONOMIC DATA=========================
                                
 August money supply data at 0800 GMT.
                                
 Real-time economic data releases....................<ECONCZ>
                                
 Previous stories on Czech data.............[CZ-RTRS-LEN-ECI]
                                
 Overview of economic data and forecasts..........<CZ/ECON15>
                                
 Updates on CEE currencies............................[CEE/]
                                
 
 ============================EVENTS=============================
                                
 PRAGUE - The central bank will release minutes of its Sept
23 meting at 0700 GMT
                                
 Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-CEN]
                                
 
                                
 PRAGUE - The PMI index is due at 0730 GMT. Further expansion
expected.
                                
 Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ]
                                
 
                                
 PRAGUE - The statistical bureau will release notification of
state debt for 2009, statistic  required by the European Union.
                                
 [RTRS-CZ-LEN-ECI]
                                
 
===========================TOP NEWS============================
                                
 BUDAPEST - Cash-strapped central European countries need to
better cooperate to attract massive investment needed to ensure
future security of supply, participants told a regional energy
conference.
                                
 Story: [ID:nLDE68T0PY] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-DRV]
                                
 
 ---------------------- MARKET SNAPSHOT ------------------------
 Index/Crown Currency    Latest     Prev   Pct change Pct change
                                
                                 close    on day     in 2010
 vs Euro    <EURCZK=>     24.567     24.562    -0.02       6.65
 vs Dollar     <CZK=>     17.996     17.98     -0.09       2.07
 Czech Equities <.PX>  1,131.6    1,131.6       0.98       1.28
 U.S. Equities <.DJI> 10,788.05  10,835.28     -0.44       3.45
 Pvs close or current levels vs prior domestic close at 1500 GMT

=========================PRESS DIGEST==========================
                                
 TAX HIKE: Prime Minister Petr Necas is considering a 6-7
percentage point hike in the lower rate of the value-added tax,
now 10 percent, to help pay for pension reform. Necas had
earlier said a VAT hike was a possibility, and he said on
Thursday there was no concrete plan.
                                
 Hospodarske Noviny, page 1
                                
 
                                
 ENERGY PRICES: A government panel is looking for ways to
mitigate an expected hike in power prices that will come due to
generous support of solar energy.
                                
 Hospodarske Noviny, page 1
                                
 POWER PRICE HIKES: Electricity prices will rise by 12
percent for households and 17 percent for firms next year, the
energy regulator said.
                                
 Lidove Noviny, page 1
                                
 
                                
 CONSUMER LOANS: Defaults on consumer loans grew rapidly last
year as unemployment rose.
                                
 E15, page 1
                                
 
                                
 Reuters has not verified the media reports, nor does it
vouch for their accuracy.

                                
 For Instant Views of key economic data click on
                                
[CZ/INSTANT]
 For summary of economic data and forecasts          <CZ/ECON01>
 For diary of forthcoming Czech events                [CZ/DIARY]
 For calendar of east European economic indicators  [CONV/DIARY]
 TOP NEWS -- Emerging markets                         [TOP/EMRG]
 TOP NEWS -- Convergence watch                        [TOP/EAST]

 For an economic indicator diary for the euro zone, the United
 States and other Group of Seven countries see         <G7TODAY>

 For real-time stock market index quotes click in brackets:
 Warsaw WIG20 <.WIG20>  Budapest BUX <.BUX>  Prague PX <.PX>

                                
 News editor of the day: Jan Lopatka on +420 224 190 474;
fax: +420 224 229 935
                                
 E-mail: prague.newsroom@reuters.com