PRAGUE, Feb 27 (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 ========================
January money supply data at 0900 GMT.
Real-time economic data releases....................<ECONCZ>
Previous stories on Czech data.............[]
Overview of economic data and forecasts..........<CZ/ECON15>
Updates on Czech currency.............................[]
=========================== EVENTS =============================
PRAGUE - Ceska Sporitelna <>, a unit of Erste Bank
<ERST.VI>, to release 2008 results. News conference at 1000 GMT.
Related news: []
=======================MORNING NEWS=============================
ERSTE SCRAPS OUTLOOK, GETS GOVT SUPPORT: Erste Group Bank
<ERST.VI>, emerging Europe's No.3 lender, scrapped its outlook
for 2009 on Friday in view of the uncertain economic
environment. The group also signed a deal to raise up to 2.7
billion euro ($3.4 billion) in hybrid and participation capital
from the government and private investors.
Story: [] Related news: []
LENDERS COMMIT TO E.EUROPE: Global development banks on
Thursday launched a coordinated two-year plan to lend up to 25
billion euros ($31.7 billion) to shore up banks and businesses
in crisis-hit eastern and central Europe.
Story: [] Related news: []
============================NEWS================================
EU DEFENDS EASTERN EFFORTS: The European Union defended its
efforts to help emerging Europe before a summit on Sunday while
some members pushed for a more coordinated approach to the
crisis creeping into the region.
Story: [] Related news: []
OBAMA TO VISIT PRAGUE: U.S. President Barack Obama will
visit the Czech Republic at the end of his April trip to Europe,
a Czech government source said on Thursday.
Story: [] Related news: []
UNIPETROL SETS UNSURE 2009: Czech downstream oil group
Unipetrol <> posted a larger-than-expected operating
loss in the fourth quarter, and said on Thursday the outlook
remained volatile as it declined to set a 2009 EBIT target.
Story: [] Related news: []
KOMERCNI EXPOSURE ON CLIENT DEFAULT: Komercni Banka
<> said on Thursday one of its large clients was in
default on debts owed to the bank, leaving it with an exposure
of up to 1 billion crowns ($44.58 million).
Story: [] Related news: []
CEE FX SIDEWAYS: The zloty trimmed losses on Thursday and
Central European currencies were rangebound as investors digest
a flurry of comments by decision makers on the past few months'
currency depreciation trend.
Story: [] Related news: []
NOMURA SAYS BUY ZLOTY VS PEERS: Nomura recommend buying the
Polish zloty against the Czech crown and Hungarian forint,
citing the government's intent to defend the currency ahead of
euro entry and Poland's better growth prospects.
Story: [] Related news: []
SKODA 5-DAY WORK TO RESUME: Volkswagen's <VOWG.DE> Czech
unit, Skoda Auto, will resume a five-day working week for most
of its models as of March, thanks to a pick up in demand, a
Skoda spokesman said on Thursday.
Story: [] Related news: []
---------------------- MARKET SNAPSHOT ------------------------
Index/Crown Currency Latest Prev Pct change Pct change
close on day in 2009
Czech Equities <> 642.8 642.8 +0.00 n/a
vs Euro <EURCZK=> 28.160 28.160 +0.00 -4.87
vs Dollar <CZK=> 22.162 22.157 -0.01 -13.76
U.S. Equities <> 7,182 7,271 -1.22 -18.17
Pvs close or current levels vs prior domestic close at 1600 GMT
=========================PRESS DIGEST==========================
CEZ HOUSEHOLD OFFER: Power group CEZ <> will offer
households and businesses the opportunity to fix 2010
electricity prices 15 percent cheaper than current prices.
E15, page 1
NWR DIVIDEND: Miner New World Resources <NWRSsp.PR> <NWRS.L>
plans to continue paying out 50 percent of net profit in
dividend, its CFO said.
E15, page 13
WAGE FREEZE: Around 90 percent of 1,261 small- and mid-sized
firms polled by the Chamber of Commerce do not plan to raise
employee salaries this year, while 40 percent may cut wages.
Hospodarske Noviny, page 1
ORCO STARTS BUBNY RENTER SEARCH: Orco Property Group
<> <ORCO.PA> has started the search for renters for the
first two office buildings in its largest project Bubny in
Prague.
Hospodarske Noviny, page 16
Reuters has not verified the media reports, nor does it
vouch for their accuracy.
For Instant Views of key economic data click on []
For summary of economic data and forecasts <CZ/ECON01>
For diary of forthcoming Czech events []
For calendar of east European economic indicators []
TOP NEWS -- Emerging markets []
TOP NEWS -- Convergence watch []
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 <> Budapest BUX <> Prague 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)
