Czech Republic - Factors To Watch on Dec 17

                                
 PRAGUE, Dec 17 (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 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 CEE currencies............................[CEE/]
                                
 
============================EVENTS==========================
                                
 PRAGUE -The lower house of parliament to continue a session.
                                
 Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-POL]
                                
 
==========================MORNING NEWS========================
                                
 CEZ PROFITS: New taxes on solar power and carbon credits in
the Czech Republic will cut profit at power group CEZ
<CEZPsp.PR> by 4.6 billion crowns ($242 million) in 2011, the
group's chief operating officer was cited as saying.
                                
 Story: [ID:nPRG004586] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-ENR]
                                
 
============================TOP NEWS==========================
                                
 GOVT VOTE: The Czech coalition government will face a
no-confidence vote next week after the main opposition party
filed a motion on Thursday in response to allegations of
corruption in one ministry.
                                
 Story: [ID:nLDE6BF0JA] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-POL]
                                
 
                                
 CEE MARKETS: The Hungarian forint rose to a three-week high
on Thursday boosted by growing expectations of an interest rate
rise next week, although trade was limited as investors avoided
opening new positions before the year end.
                                
 Story: [ID:nLDE6BF0DN] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-FRX]
                                
 
                                
 CEE POWER: Czech day ahead power prices hit a fresh two-year
high on Thursday as temperatures well below freezing pushed up
demand while a decrease in wind generation limited supply,
traders said.
                                
 Story: [ID:nLDE6BF1PP] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-DRV]
                                
 
 ---------------------- MARKET SNAPSHOT ------------------------
 Index/Crown Currency    Latest     Prev   Pct change Pct change
                                
                                 close    on day     in 2010
 vs Euro    <EURCZK=>     25.142     25.147    0.02       4.47
 vs Dollar     <CZK=>     18.903     19.01     0.56      -2.86
 Czech Equities <.PX>  1,199.9    1,199.9      0.62       7.39
 U.S. Equities <.DJI> 11,499.25  11,457.47     0.36      10.27
 Pvs close or current levels vs prior domestic close at 1500 GMT

 ==========================PRESS DIGEST=========================
                                
 SAZKA: Indebted lottery group Sazka sent a letter to
bondholders saying in January it would only be able to pay a 4
million euro principal on a 13.2 million euro payment.
                                
 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