Czech Republic - Factors To Watch on Feb 15

                                
  PRAGUE, Feb 15 (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=========================
                                
 December retail sales data at 0800 GMT. Reuters survey
showed economists expect 3 pct contraction.
                                
 January PPI and December foreign trade prices data at 0800
GMT. Reuters survey showed economists expect 0.4 pct growth
mo/mo, 1.5 pct drop yr/yr.
                                
 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/]
                                
 
=========================TOP NEWS=============================
                                
 TEMELIN: Czech power firm CEZ restarted unit 1 of its
Temelin nuclear plant on Sunday, two days earlier than planned
after an unscheduled test to its 1,013 megawatt block's turbine
system, news agency CTK reported.
                                
 Story: [ID:nLDE61D0J1] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-NUC]
                                
 
                                
 C.BANKER ON POOR GDP: Poor Czech fourth-quarter gross
domestic product data show an economic recovery may not be on
the way yet, central bank board member Eva Zamrazilova said on
Friday.
                                
 Story: [ID:nPRG003926] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-ECI]
                                
 
                                
 TEMELIN TO SHUT UNIT: CEZ <CEZPsp.PR> will shut off unit 1
at its Temelin nuclear plant for three days starting on
Saturday, February 13 to test the 1,013 megawatt block's turbine
system, the Czech utility said on Friday.
                                
 Story: [ID:nLDE61B1J1] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-NUC]
                                
 
                                
 CEE MARKETS: The Polish zloty reversed gains on Friday and
lost with peers when Chinese monetary tightening pushed
investors to cut risk, adding to volatility brought by worries
over economic recovery and the euro zone's periphery.
                                
 Story: [ID:nLDE61B09O] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-FRX]
                                
 
                                
 CEE GDP: The economic recovery shuddered to a halt in the
Czech Republic at the end of 2009, while Hungary and Romania
remained mired in recession as the European Union's emerging
east ended the year deep in the red.
                                
 Story: [ID:nLDE61B0BI] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-CEEU]
                                
 
                                
 CURRENT ACCOUNT: The Czech current account showed a 11.32
billion crown ($596.7 million) deficit in December after a 1.61
billion crown gap in November, above a market consensus of 7.0
billion crowns shortfall.
                                
 Story: [ID:nLDE61913M] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-ECI]
                                
 
                                
 GDP: The Czech economy unexpectedly dropped 0.6 percent from
the previous three months in the fourth quarter, widely missing
analysts' forecast for a 0.8 percent rise, preliminary data
showed on Friday.
                                
 Story: [ID:nLDE61B0B7] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-ECI]
                                
 
                                
 C.BANK MINUTES: The Czech central bank board member Eva
Zamrazilova missed the Feb 4 interest rates setting meeting at
which policy makers left rates at record lows, minutes from the
session showed on Friday.
                                
 Story: [ID:nPRA004956] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-ECI]
                                
 Text: [ID:nLDE61B074]
                                
 Vote: [ID:nLDE61B09H]
                                
 
                                
 C.BANK ON BUDGET: Czech central bank raised on Friday its
estimate for this year's public sector deficit to 5.9 percent of
gross domestic product from 4.9 percent.
                                
 Story: [ID:nPRA004957] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-ECI]
---------------------- MARKET SNAPSHOT ------------------------
 Index/Crown Currency  Latest    Prev    Pct change   Pct change
                                
                              close   on day       in 2010
 Czech Equities <.PX>   1113,4   1113,4    -0,77       -0,35
vs Euro   <EURCZK=>    25,963    25,885    -0,3         1,35
vs Dollar    <CZK=>    19,109    19,024    -0,45       -3,98
 U.S. Equities <.DJI>  10099,14  10144,19  -0,44       -3,15
 Pvs close or current levels vs prior domestic close at 1600
=========================PRESS DIGEST===========================
                                
 15-YR BOND: Czech central bank Vice Governor Miroslav Singer
said the Finance Ministry's decision to cut a 15 year bond
auction last week was a technical battle between the ministry
and the market. He said Czech bonds are attractive but there is
pressure on higher yields as markets expect higher monetary
policy rates.
                                
 Lidove Noviny, page 18
                                
 For Finance Minster's comments on the auction, please double
click on [ID:nLDE61A178]
                                
 
                                
 CAR SALES: Volkswagen's Skoda Auto sales rose sharply in
January. The were up 55 percent thanks to sales in China.
                                
 Hospodarske Noviny, page 20
                                
 
                                
 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
                                
(Reporting by Jana Mlcochova)
                                
 E-mail: prague.newsroom@reuters.com