Czech Republic - Factors To Watch on March 20

                                
 PRAGUE, March 20 (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 hour)

======================== 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 - The lower house of parliament to continue its
session.
                                
 Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-POL]
                                
 
                                
 PRAGUE - Main opposition party Social Democrats (CSSD) to
begin three-day party congress.
                                
 Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-POL]
                                
 
============================NEWS================================
                                
 EU VOWS IMF SUPPORT: European Union leaders rejected
pressure on Thursday to inject more money into their economies
to battle recession but backed at least $75 billion in new loans
to strengthen the International Monetary Fund.
                                
 Story: [ID:nLJ484165] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-MCE]
                                
 
                                
 EU BACKING TO DOUBLE CRISIS FUND: European Union leaders
expressed broad support for a proposal to double crisis funds
available to members of the bloc that are not in the euro zone
to 50 billion euros, diplomats said at a summit on Thursday.
                                
 Story: [ID:nLJ62178] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-POL]
                                
 
                                
 CEE FX GIVE UP DOLLAR GAINS: Eastern European currencies
gave back overnight gains on Thursday afternoon when some major
stop loss positions were triggered in London.
                                
 Story: [ID:nLJ211419] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-FRX]
                                
 
                                
 PEGAS Q4 DISAPPOINTS: Czech artificial textiles maker Pegas
Nonwovens <PGSNsp.PR><PGSN.WA> posted worse than expected
fourth-quarter results on Thursday, and said growing competition
in the hygiene sector would hit margins in 2009.
                                
 Story: [ID:nLJ179907] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-TEX]
                                
 
                                
 ORCO TO SET STRATEGY: Orco Property Group <ORCOsp.PR>
<ORCO.PA> will release its strategy by March 25, the central
European developer said on Thursday.
                                
 Story: [ID:nPRA002432] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-REA]
                                
 
                                
 CEE RATES SEEN ON HOLD: The Czech and Hungarian central
banks are seen keeping interest rates on hold next week due to
recent currency falls, but a deepening recession is expected to
prompt further rate cuts later in 2009.
                                
 Story: [ID:nLJ944923] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-CEN]
                                
 
                                
 CBANK SEEN ON HOLD: The Czech central bank is expected to
take a breather in its policy easing cycle in March as a weak
crown currency threatens to fuel inflation pressure, a Reuters
poll showed on Thursday.
                                
 Story: [ID:nLJ534558] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-INT]
                                
 
                                
 TOUGHER TIMES AHEAD IN E.EUROPE: Economic pain will touch
off protests and may topple governments in central and eastern
Europe this summer, but those inside the EU will fare better
than outsiders like Ukraine, where the crisis is most acute.
                                
 Story: [ID:nLB938083] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-MCE]
                                
 
 ---------------------- MARKET SNAPSHOT ------------------------
 Index/Crown Currency  Latest    Prev    Pct change   Pct change
                                
                              close   on day       in 2009
 Czech Equities  <.PX>   742.6    742.6   +0.00          n/a 
 vs Euro     <EURCZK=>  26.895   26.945   +0.19         -0.39
 vs Dollar      <CZK=>  19.669   19.627   -0.16         -2.79
 U.S. Equities  <.DJI>   7,401    7,487   -1.15        -15.67
 Pvs close or current levels vs prior domestic close at 1600 GMT

===========================PRESS DIGEST=========================
                                
 "REBEL" VOTES UNCLEAR: "Rebels" from the ruling coalition
have not yet publicly indicated how they will vote in next
week's no-confidence vote on the government, which was initiated
by the main opposition party.
                                
 Pravo, page 1
                                
 
                                
 ENERGY DEBTS: Debts of energy trader Moravia Energo, which
has filed for protection against creditors, may total almost 4
billion crowns ($200.7 million). Among bank debts, UniCredit may
be owed 380 million crowns and Erste Bank's unit Ceska
Sporitelna 200 million crowns, the daily reported according to
its calculations.
                                
 Hospodarske Noviny, page 1
                                
 
                                
 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)