WARSAW, Dec 18 (Reuters) - Here are news stories, press
reports and events to watch which may affect Central/Eastern
Europe's financial markets on Thursday.
WARSAW BOURSE
Poland's market watchdog, KNF, looks into Wednesday's fixing
on the Warsaw bourse when the main index WIG20 <> lost
around 1.5 percent on one transaction, Polish papers write.
POLISH BANKS
Polish banks may need to take out as much as $284 million in
provisions to account for client losses on currency options, but
the sector's stability is not at risk, the financial regulator
said on Wednesday. []
PGNIG
Poland's gas monopoly PGNiG <PGNI.WA> will sell less gas in
the fourth quarter than a year earlier, which should boost its
profit margins, its chief executive said on Wednesday.
[]
HUNGARIAN POWER PRICES
Electricity prices for Hungarian households, government
organisations and small businesses will rise 2.9 percent next
year, despite a 7.6 percent cut in wholesale prices by the
state-owned Hungarian Electricity Works (MVM), which noted that
a cut in wholesale prices does not automatically translate into
lower retail tariffs., writes Nepszabadsag's Hungary Around the
Clock service.
HUNGARIAN REAL ESTATE
The outlook of Hungary's real estate market players
deteriorated sharply in the third quarter as the economic
downturn reached the property business, according to a
confidence gauge compiled by Ecostat, writes Hungary Around the
Clock.
The figure shrank to 41.8 percent in the fourth quarter,
down from 45.1 percent in the previous one and from 44 percent
in the last three months of 2007.
Industry players are expecting house prices in Hungary to
contract by 10-15 percent next year as the economic crisis
deepens, Hungary Around the Clock writes.
EUROPEAN MARKETS
European shares were seen opening flat to slightly higher on
Thursday, with Asian markets higher but energy stocks and
exporters under pressure as oil traded below $40 a barrel and
the euro strengthened against the dollar.
Bookmakers in London expected Britain's FTSE 100 <> to
open up 2 points, Germany's DAX <> up 9 to 16 points and
France's CAC <> up 15 points.
For the latest news on European markets, double click []
WALL STREET
U.S. stocks fell on Wednesday as the government's effort to
stave off a deep economic recession raised worries about
mounting public debt and blunted optimism following the Fed's
sharp rate cut on Tuesday.
For latest Wall Street news, double click []
OTHER EQUITY NEWS
Stocks on the move [] Real-time Equity News []
Emerging markets equities [] E.Europe equities []
Hot stocks [] Stock markets []
Emerging Europe diaries []
European stocks report []
Major world stock market performance []
FTSE Eurotop 300 index...................<>
DJ STOXX index...........................<>
Eurotop 300 sector gainers/losers...<.PGL.FTEU3S>
Top 25 European pct gainers............<.PG.PEUR>
Top 25 European pct losers.............<.PL.PEUR>
European Equities speed guide.............<EUR/EQUITY>
Pan European indices.....................<EUR/INDICES1>
Pan European analysis.....................<EUR/STATS1>
REGIONAL INDICES
Warsaw WIG20 <> Istanbul ISE National 100 <>
Budapest SE Index <> Bucharest Beti <>
Prague PX <> Zagreb Crobex <>
Sofia Sofix <.SOFIX> Ljubljana SBI20 <>
MSCI Global Emerging Markets <.MSCIEF>
FTSEurofirst 300 <>
($1=3.066 Zloty)
