Czech Republic - Factors To Watch on Dec 9

                                
 PRAGUE, Dec 9 (Reuters) - Here are news stories, press
reports and events to watch which may affect Czech financial
markets on Tuesday.
                                
 ALL TIMES GMT (Czech Republic: GMT + 1 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 Czech currency.............................[CZK/]
======================== EVENTS ===============================
                                
 PRAGUE - Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek to meet
Slovenian President Danilo Turk at 0830 GMT.
                                
 Related new: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-DIP]

                                
 PRAGUE - Financial Forum "The World in Financial Crisis"
with Czech central bank (CNB) board member Robert Holman (0945
GMT) and Finance Minister Miroslav Kalousek (1200 GMT).
                                
 Related new: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-POL]
                                
 
                                
 PRAGUE - The lower house of parliament to hold an
extraordinary  session. The second reading on the Lisbon treaty
on the schedule (1300 GMT).
                                
 Related new: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-POL]

                                
 PRAGUE - Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek to meet his
Danish counterpart Anders Fogh Rasmussen. News conference at
1600 GMT.
                                
 Related new: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-DIP]
====================== TOP NEWS ===========================
                                
 EBRD: The head of the EU's development bank sounded a note
of caution on Monday about its growth forecasts for Eastern
Europe, saying the global financial crisis was probably the most
comprehensive witnessed in a long time.     
                                
 Story: [ID:nL8239328]  Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-CEEU]
                                
 
                                
 C.BANKER SEES RATE CUT: The Czech central bank is likely to
cut interest rates as borrowing costs are now higher than in the
euro zone, and both economic growth and inflation are waning,
central bank board member Robert Holman said.      
                                
 Story: [ID:nL8661451] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-PLCY]
                                
  
                                
  C.BANKER ON RATES: Czech inflation dropped more than
expected in November but its impact on the forecast trajectory
of interest rates cannot be assessed now, central bank board
member Vladimir Tomsik said.
                                
  Story: [ID:nL8661451] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-PLCY]
                                
 
                                
  CZECH, SLOVAK ECON FALTERS: A grim set of Czech and Slovak
data showed economic activity in central European economies is
slowing faster than expected, driven by a euro zone recession.
                                
  Story: [ID:nL8258476] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-ECI]
                                

                                
 CPI BELOW FCAST: The Czech central bank said on Monday that
November inflation was significantly lower than it had expected
due to all components of market prices.
                                
 Story: [ID:nPRG001151] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-ECI]
                                
 
                                
 CPI DROPS: Czech consumer prices dropped in line with
expectations in November on the back of falling fuel and food
prices, putting the annual inflation rate at 4.4 percent, from
6.0 percent a month earlier, data showed.
                                
 Story: [ID:nL8190875] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-ECI]
                                
 
                                
 TRADE SWINGS TO DEFICIT: The Czech foreign trade balance
posted a 3.95 billion crown ($198.9 million) deficit in October
as exports dropped while analysts had expected a surplus, data
showed.
                                
 Story: [ID:nL8188283] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-ECI]
                                
 
                                
 CZECH PRESIDENCY: The Czech Republic, which takes over the
European Union's presidency in January, warned on Monday against
excessive economic regulation to fight financial crisis and
recession.
                                
 Story: [ID:nL9477160] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-POL]
                                
 
========================IN OTHER NEWS==========================
                                
 TELEFONICA: Morgan Stanley cuts Telefonica O2 Czech Republic
<SPTTsp.PR> to equal-weight from over-weight.
                                
 Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-RCH]
                                
 
---------------------- MARKET SNAPSHOT ------------------------
 Index/Crown Currency  Latest    Prev    Pct change   Pct change
                                
                              close   on day       in 2008
 Czech Equities  <.PX> 0,000.0  0,856.1   +0.00       -100.00
 vs Euro     <EURCZK=>  25.670   25.740   +0.27         +3.23
 vs Dollar      <CZK=>  19.958   19.930   +0.17         -8.68
 U.S. Equities  <.DJI>  08,934   08,635   +3.46        -32.65
 Pvs close or current levels vs prior domestic close at 1500

====================== PRESS DIGEST ===========================
                                
 KOMERCNI BANKA: Czech lender Komercni Banka <BKOMsp.PR>
expects growth of its loan portfolio at 15 percent next year,
down from 22 percent in the third quarter, CFO Pavel Cejka said.
He added profitability will significantly decline due to an
expected drop in Czech GDP growth and it cannot be expected that
the bank maintains more than a 20 percent annual growth in
profit.
                                
 Hospodarske Noviny, page 19
                                
 
                                
 CEZ: Construction of two new nuclear blocks at the Temelin
plant would cost CEZ <CEZPsp.PR> 130 billion crowns ($6.53
billion) while a planned renewal of its coal-fired plants and
construction of the intended gas-fired stations will cost 100
billion to 150 billion, CEO Martin Roman said.
                                
 
                                
 GOVERNMENT: The head of a leading national industry lobby
Jaroslav Mil admitted that he would negotiate with Prime
Minister Mirek Topolanek a possibility of being appointed a
Vice-Prime Minister for Economy.
                                
 Lidova Noviny, page 2
                                
     
                                
 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 Jana Mlcochova)