Czech Republic - Factors To Watch on April 21

                                
 PRAGUE, April 21 (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 + 2 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 CEE currencies............................[CEE/]
                                
 
 ============================EVENTS===========================
                                
 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-PLCY]
                                
 
                                
 PRAGUE - Komercni Banka <BKOMsp.PR> to hold an annual
shareholders' meeting.
                                
 Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-BNK]

                                
 PRAGUE - Czech President Vaclav Klaus to meet his Hungarian
counterpart Pal Schmitt. Bilateral issus on the schedule. News
conference at 0940 GMT.
                                
 Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-DIP]
                                
 
                                
 PRAGUE - Chemicals group Unipetrol <UNPEsp.PR>, a unit of
Poland's PKN Orlen <PKNA.WA> to present trading statement for
first quarter.
                                
 Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-CHE]
                                
 
 ============================TOP NEWS===========================
                                
 HAMPL: EZ DEBT MAY KEEP CZECH RATES LOW: The point when
Czech interest rates will rise is approaching but the timing
remains uncertain, central bank Vice-Governor Mojmir Hampl said
on Wednesday.
                                
 Story: [ID:nLDE73J0W1] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-INT]
                                
 
                                
 CEE MARKETS: Hungarian assets rallied on Wednesday as
investors favoured the forint over the Polish zloty in a
generally risk-friendly market that also saw gains for the
region's stocks.
                                
 Story: [ID:nLDE73J08V] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CEEU-FRX]
                                
 
                                
 CEE POWER: Czech prompt power held steady on Wednesday as
fundamental factors were unchanged while baseload electricity
for 2012 delivery rebounded on higher fuels, traders said.
                                
 Story: [ID:nLDE73J1EC] Related news [RTRS-LEN-CZ-ENR]
                                
 
 ---------------------- MARKET SNAPSHOT ------------------------
 Index/Crown Currency    Latest     Prev   Pct change Pct change
                                
                                 close    on day     in 2011
 vs Euro    <EURCZK=>     24.15      24.208    0.24      3.4
 vs Dollar     <CZK=>     16.526     16.676    0.9      11.47
 Czech Equities <.PX>  1,241.9    1,241.9      0.76      1.4
 U.S. Equities <.DJI> 12,453.54  12,266.75     1.52      7.57
 Pvs close or current levels vs prior domestic close at 1500
GMT 
==========================PRESS DIGEST=========================
                                
 SPENDING PLAN: The government approved on Wednesday the
finance ministry's mid-term spending plan which calls for
balancing the budget by 2016. The plan projects 2012 budget
deficit at 3.5 percent of GDP, the 2013 gap at 2.9 percent, and
in 2013 at 1.9 percent.
                                
 Pravo, page 4
                                
 
                                
 STEEL OUTPUT: Steel production in the Czech Republic rose by
12.8 percent last year.
                                
 Hospodarske Noviny, page 19
                                
 
 
                                
 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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