Czech Republic - Factors To Watch on Dec 18

                                
 PRAGUE, Dec 18 (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 hour)
======================== ECONOMIC DATA ========================
                                
 October retail sales data at 0800 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 Czech currency.............................[CZK/]
============================= EVENTS============================
                                
PRAGUE - Czech Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg to meet
his Norwegian counterpart Jonas Gahr Store. News conference at
1220 GMT.
                                
 Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-DIP]
                                
 
====================== TOP NEWS ================================
                                
 CBANK CUTS, MORE TO COME: The Czech central bank cut
interest rates by half a percentage point on Wednesday and
painted a dark picture of economic development that promises to
more policy easing on the horizon.
                                
 Story: [ID:nLH141377] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-INT]
                                
 
                                
 POLICYMAKERS BATTLE ECON CRISIS: Czech policymakers cut
interest rates and the governor of Poland's central bank said it
may prop up the plunging zloty as emerging Europe struggled to
fight back against the encroaching global economic crisis.
                                
 Story: [ID:nNLH441308] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-CEN]
                                
 
                                
 CEE FX MIXED: Central European currencies were mixed on
Wednesday after the Czech central bank cut interest rates by 50
basis points to 2.25 percent in the latest move to bolster
growth in the region's emerging markets.
                                
 Story: [ID:nLH299923] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-FRX]
                                
 
                                
 SLOVAKIA TAPS CEZ: The Slovak government said on Wednesday
it had chosen Czech electricity maker CEZ <CEZPsp.PR> as the
strategic partner for a new nuclear power plant expected to cost
4-6 billion euros.
                                
 Story: [nLH720546] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-ELG]
                                
 
                                
 OPPOSITION GAINS GROUND: The Czech Republic's main
opposition party, the leftist Social Democrats, extended their
lead over the ruling right-wing group to record 17.5 percentage
points, an opinion poll showed on Wednesday.
                                
 Story: [ID:nLH513817] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-POL]
                                
 
 ---------------------- MARKET SNAPSHOT ------------------------
 Index/Crown Currency  Latest    Prev    Pct change   Pct change
                                
                              close   on day       in 2008
 vs Euro     <EURCZK=>  26.400   26.400   +0.00         +0.38
 vs Dollar      <CZK=>  18.359   18.290   -0.35         -1.00
 U.S. Equities  <.DJI>  08,824   08,924   -1.12        -33.48
 Pvs close or current levels vs prior domestic close at 1500
====================== PRESS DIGEST ===========================
                                
 TRANSPORT COULD STRIKE: Transport unions agreed to plan a
strike for the middle of January in protest of government plans
to cancel tax advantages for some employee benefits.
                                
 Hospodarske Noviny, page 1
                                
 
                                
 ONLINE BETTING GETS GO AHEAD: The Finance Ministry gave
licenses to five domestic groups to launch online betting next
year, ending long-held restrictions against domestic players.
                                
 Mlada Fronta Dnes, page B1
                                
 
                                
 USED CAR PRICES DROP: Prices of used cars dropped 10-25
percent this year, dealer AAA Auto Group <AAAAsp.PR> said.
                                
 E15, page 10
                                
 
                                
 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
                                
 E-mail: prague.newsroom@reuters.com
 (Compiled by Jason Hovet)