Czech Republic - Factors To Watch on Jan 7

                                
 PRAGUE, Jan 7 (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 + 1 hours)

=========================ECONOMIC DATA=========================
                                
 November industrial and construction data at 0800 GMT
                                
 December foreign exchange reserves data at 0900 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 - Minutes from the December 22 governing board
meeting at 0800 GMT.
                                
 Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-PLCY]
=============================TOP NEWS===========================
                                
 PENSION REFORM DEBATE: The leading Czech government party
said on Thursday it was willing to compromise within the
coalition on parameters of the planned pension reform in order
to win approval for the changes it sees as a key part of the
government's agenda.
                                
 Story: [ID:nLDE70512A] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-PLCY]

                                
 SKODA SALES HIT RECORD: Volkswagen's <VOWG.DE> Czech unit
Skoda Auto sold a record number of cars worldwide in 2010 and
said it aimed to double sales by 2018.
                                
 Story: [ID:nLDE70511V] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-AUT]
                                
 
                                
 CROWN RISES TO SIX-WEEK HIGH: The Czech crown rose to a
six-week high against the euro on Thursday, gaining after
breaking technical levels as investors buy into emerging markets
to start the year. [ID:nLDE7050CB]
                                
 Story: [ID:nPRG004622] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-FRX]
                                
 
                                
 CEZ BUYS FOUR HYDROPOWER PLANTS IN ROMANIAN: Czech power
group CEZ <CEZPsp.PR> said on Thursday it had finalised the
purchase of 100 percent in Romania's TMK Hydroenergy Power,
which runs four hydropower plants with installed output of 18
megawatts.
                                
 Story: [ID:nPRG004620] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-ELG]

                                
 CME CHIEF SELLS SHARES: Central European Media Enterprises
<CETV.O> <CETVsp.PR> chief executive Adrian Sarbu has sold
shares in the company worth $2.1 million.
                                
 Story: [ID:nLDE7050RE] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-STX]
                                
 
                                
 ORCO EXPECTS PROFIT: Orco Property Group <ORCO.PA>
<ORCOsp.PR> expects to show a profit in 2011 and will look at
issuing new debt, the developer's Chief Executive Jean-Francois
Ott was quoted as saying.
                                
 Story: [ID:nLDE7050DY] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-RESF]

                                
 VITEK AGREES WITH J&T TO BUY SAZKA DEBT: Czech real estate
developer Radovan Vitek has agreed to buy 500 million crowns
($26 million) of outstanding debt in Sazka, the lottery company
he threatened to push into insolvency, a news Website reported
on Thursday.
                                
 Story: [ID:nLDE70506E] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-DBT]

                                
 TRADE GAP JUST BELOW FCAST:The Czech Republic posted an 11.8
billion crown ($625 million) foreign trade surplus in November,
a touch smaller than analysts' forecasts in a Reuters poll, data
showed on Thursday.
                                
 Story: [ID:nLDE705058] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-MCE]
                                
 
                                
 CEE MARKETS: The zloty firmed to 9-month highs against the
euro on Thursday as investors bought it against the Hungarian
forint on expectations that Poland's central bank may start a
cycle of rate tightening soon.
                                
 Story: [ID:nLDE7050CB] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-FRX]
                                
 
                                
 CEE POWER: Czech day ahead power gained nearly 11 percent on
Thursday following a holiday in neighbouring countries that had
hit demand and forecasts for wind production in the region to
ease, traders said.
                                
 Story: [ID:nLDE7051D9] 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=>   24,573     24,65       0,31       1,71
 vs Dollar     <CZK=>   18,939     18,79      -0,79      -1,45
 Czech Equities <.PX>   1,253,1     1,253,1    0,85       2,31
 U.S. Equities <.DJI>  11,697,31   11,722,89  -0,22       1,03
 Pvs close or current levels vs prior domestic close at 1500 GMT
 ==========================PRESS DIGEST=========================
                                
 PENSION REFORM DEBATE: Junior coalition party Public Affairs
top official and Transport Minister Vit Barta said his party
would not oppose a rise on some types of taxes including the VAT
to cover the costs of pension reform, inverting the party's
earlier stance opposing a VAT hike. But Barta said VAT must not
be raised on basic food products. 
                                
 Hospodarske Noviny, page 3
                                
 
                                
 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>

                                
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