Czech Republic - Factors To Watch on April 24

                                
 PRAGUE, April 24 (Reuters) - Here are news stories, press
reports and events to watch which may affect Czech financial
markets on Thursday:
                                
 ALL TIMES GMT (Czech Republic: GMT + 1 hours)

 ======================== 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/]
                                
 
========================= EVENTS ===============================
                                
 PRAGUE - OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurria to present OECD
Economic Survey of the Czech Republic at 0920 GMT. News
conference to follow. He will give a lecture titled
"Globalization and Rising Competition: Challenges for the Czech
Economy" at 1500 GMT.
                                
 Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-MCE]
                                
 
                                
 PRAGUE - Czech central bank governing board to hold a
regular weekly meeting. It is not scheduled to discuss monetary
policy issues.
                                
 Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-CEN]
                                
 
                                
 PRAGUE - Drug maker Zentiva <ZNTVsp.PR> to release first
quarter revenues.
                                
 Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-DRU]
                                
 
                                
 LUXEMBOURG - Developer Orco Property Group <ORCOsp.PR> to
hold an annual shareholders' meeting.
                                
 Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-RET]
                                
 
                                
 PRAGUE - Natural gas supplier RWE Transgas <RWEG.DE> holds
news conference at 0900 GMT.
                                
 Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-ELG]
                                
 
========================== TOP NEWS ============================
                                
 CPI RISKS UNCLEAR: Czech inflation risks remain unclear in
both directions but a drop in imported food costs promises a
cooling of prices in that sector, central bank board member Eva
Zamrazilova said.
                                
 Story: [ID:nPRA001880] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-CEN]
                                
 
                                
 EURO TEST: The Czech Republic should test a new, lower
inflation target for at least three years before it joins the
pre-euro ERM-2 exchange rate band, central bank board member Eva
Zamrazilova said.
                                
 Story: [ID:nPRA001881] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-CEN]
                                
 
                                
 NWR IPO: Czech coal miner New World Resources (NWR) plans to
raise 892 million to 1.1 billion pounds through an initial
public offering, the firm said on Wednesday.
                                
 Story: [ID:nL23425391] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-COA]
                                
 
                                
 FISCAL REFORM HIT: The Czech Republic's top court struck
down part of a fiscal reform on Wednesday aimed at eliminating
sick pay abuse, a blow to the centre-right cabinet's
struggle to shrink the bloated health and welfare systems.
                                
 Story: [ID:nL23793544] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-BEV]
                                
 
                                
 UKRAINE NATO BID: Four central European NATO members on
Wednesday backed bids by Ukraine and Georgia to join NATO,
taking a side in a debate that both divided the military
alliance and angered Russia.
                                
 Story: [ID:nL23800017] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-POL]
                                
 
                                
 RATES SEEN FLAT: The Czech central bank will likely keep
interest rates flat on May 7 after inflation eased from a
nine-year peak and with the crown holding near record highs to
the euro, a Reuters poll showed on Wednesday.
                                
 Story: [ID:nL23928625] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-CEN]
                                
 Table: [ID:nL23745653]
                                
 
================= ELSEWHERE IN THE NEWS ========================
                                
 ZENTIVA RESULTS: Czech drug maker Zentiva <ZNTVsp.PR> is
expected to report a 33 percent year-on-year jump in revenue in
the first quarter, as an acquisition in Turkey compensates for a
continuing drop in its key markets, a Reuters poll showed on
Wednesday.
                                
 Story: [ID:nL23750957] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-DRU]
                                
 
 ---------------------- MARKET SNAPSHOT ------------------------
 Index/Crown Currency  Latest    Prev    Pct change   Pct change
                                
                              close   on day       in 2008
 Czech Equities  <.PX> 1,554.4  1,555.1   -0.05        -14.36
 vs Euro     <EURCZK=>  25.090   25.061   -0.12         +5.62
 vs Dollar      <CZK=>  15.819   15.771   -0.31        +14.85
 U.S. Equities  <.DJI>  12,763   12,720   +0.34         -3.78
 Pvs close or current levels vs prior domestic close at 1500
                                
 
================== PRESS DIGEST ================================
                                
 J&T INVESTMENT PLAN: Czech-Slovak private equity group J&T
plans to invest 90 billion crowns ($5.72 billion) over the next
five years into real estate projects in the Czech Republic.
                                
 Hospodarske Noviny, page 17
                                
 
                                
 SOCIAL PAYMENTS CUT: Czech Civic Democrats (ODS) want to cut
payments to social system to 10 percent, from 12.5 percent of
gross wages, which would reduce the state's tax collection by 23
billion crowns a year.
                                
 Hospodarske Noviny, 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 +420 224 190 477;
fax: +420 224 229 935
                                
 E-mail: prague.newsroom@reuters.com
 (Reporting by Martin Dokoupil)