Czech Republic - Factors To Watch on Dec 29

                                
 PRAGUE, Dec 29 (Reuters) - Here are news stories, press
reports and events to watch which may affect Czech financial
markets on Monday:
                                
 ALL TIMES GMT (Czech Republic: GMT + 1 hour)

 ======================== ECONOMIC DATA ========================
                                
 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 Czech
currency.............................[CZK/]
========================= TOP NEWS =============================
                                
 INTEREST RATES: Czech central bank Governor Zdenek Tuma said
he saw room to cut interest rates by as much as 2.25 percentage
points, a local newspaper reported on Monday.
                                
 Story: [ID:nPRG001172]  Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-PLCY]

                                
 CENTRAL BANK MINUTES: Both Czech central bank (CNB)
vice-governors voted for a bigger interest rate cut than the 50
basis point reduction agreed at the bank's Dec. 17 meeting,
minutes from the session showed.
                                
 Story: [ID:nPRG00117]  Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-CEN]
---------------------- MARKET SNAPSHOT ------------------------
 Index/Crown Currency  Latest    Prev    Pct change   Pct change
                                
                              close   on day       in 2008
 Czech Equities  <.PX> 0,852.9  0,846.8   +0.72        -53.01
 vs Euro     <EURCZK=>  26.565   26.330   -0.88         -0.24
 vs Dollar      <CZK=>  18.622   18.752   +0.60         -2.53
 U.S. Equities  <.DJI>  08,516   08,468   +0.56        -35.80
 Pvs close or current levels vs prior domestic close at 1500
=========================PRESS DIGEST==========================
                                
 SKODA: Czech car maker Skoda Auto <VOWG.DE> chief Reinhard
Jung told a German magazine he could not estimate how many
vehicles the car maker will make or sell next year
[ID:nLR188738].
                                
 Hospodarske Noviny, page 19
                                
 
                                
 WAGES: Only a half of Czech employers plans to raise wages
next year, a poll of 100 companies showed. Nominal wages should
grow 3.1 percent on average.
                                
 Mlada fronta Dnes, page A1
                                
 
                                
 ECM: ECM Group, a majority owner of developer ECM Real
Estate Investments <ECMPsp.PR>, does not plant to delist the
real-estate company, a spokesman said, denying rumours.
                                
 Hospodarske Noviny, page 23

                                
  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: Chris Borowski on +420 224 190 477;
fax: +420 224 229 935
                                
 E-mail: prague.newsroom@reuters.com