PRAGUE, Feb 18 (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.............[]
Overview of economic data and forecasts..........<CZ/ECON15>
Updates on CEE currencies............................[]
=============================EVENTS==========================
PRAGUE - Telecoms operator Telefonica O2 Czech Republic
<>, a unit of Spain's Telefonica <TEF.MC>, to release
2010 results (1400 GMT). Conference call at 1600 GMT. Net profit
seen down by 19 percent at 2.25 billion crowns. []
Related news: []
=============================TOP NEWS===========================
MINISTERS AGREE OUTLINE OF PENSION REFORM: Czech
centre-right coalition parties reached agreement on Thursday on
the outline of pension reform, a major part of the cabinet's
legislative agenda that will bring higher taxes and private
savings to balance the system.
Story: [] Related news: []
PARTIES AGREE TO UNIFY VAT RATE: Czech Finance Minister
Miroslav Kalousek said on Thursday that government coalition
parties had agreed to unify the value-added tax rate at 20
percent as part of a planned pension reform.
Story: [] Related news: []
POLICE FILES CHARGES IN LARGEST-EVER CORRUPTION CASE: Czech
police charged 54 people with manipulating public tenders on
Thursday, the latest in a string of graft scandals that have
angered voters and rocked the political establishment in the
European Union state.
Story: [] Related news: []
CEE MARKETS: Czech day-ahead prices were steady on Wednesday
as a few plant outages and cold weather in the region appeared
to offset a decrease in wind generation.
Story: [] Related news: []
CEE POWER: Czech power prices gained on Thursday as low wind
generation, cold weather and plant outages boosted short-term
prices and rising fuel prices drove contracts higher along the
curve, traders said.
Story: [] Related news: []
BOND COUPON SET: The Czech Finance Ministry set the coupon
for a new 3-year government bond at 2.75 percent per annum, it
said on Thursday.
Story: [] Related news: []
CEZ TO BEGIN DUKOVANY SHUTDOWN: Czech utility CEZ
<> will begin the planned 33-day shutdown for
refuelling of unit 3 at its Dukovany nuclear power plant on
Sunday, the power group said on Thursday.
Story: [] Related news: []
---------------------- MARKET SNAPSHOT ------------------------
Index/Crown Currency Latest Prev Pct change Pct change
close on day in 2011
vs Euro <EURCZK=> 24,292 24,316 0,1 2,83
vs Dollar <CZK=> 17,868 17,877 0,05 4,29
Czech Equities <> 1,230,9 1,230,9 -1,54 0,5
U.S. Equities <> 12,318,14 12,288,17 0,24 6,4
Pvs close or current levels vs prior domestic close at 1500 GMT
==========================PRESS DIGEST=========================
PM SUPPORTS PARTIAL SALE OF STATE-OWNED COS: Czech Prime
Minister supported a proposal by the government's economic
advisory board NERV that the state should float minority stakes
in state-owned companies on the Prague stock exchange. The
companies include grid operator CEPS, pipeline operator CEPRO,
Prague Airport, Czech Airlines, forestry company Lesy CR, and
possibly Czech Export Bank.
Hospodarske Noviny, page 2
CZECH REPUBLIC OFTEN SUED BY INVESTORS: The Czech Republic
is number three country in the world as to being sued by
investors. Per capita, it is number one.
Hospodarske Noviny, page 24
PENSION FUNDS RAISE PROFIT: Czech pension funds earned 4.6
billion crowns ($256.7 million) last year, up by 2 billion from
2009.
Hospodarske Noviny, page 18
Economic ministers are scheduled to meet on Thursday and
could find an agreement on the final form of the pension reform,
the paper reports, citing unnamed sources.
Pravo, page 2
PENSION FUNDS: Czech pension funds won 133,000 new clients
last year to 4.53 million, a slowdown from 2009 when nearly
500,000 new clients joined.
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
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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>
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E-mail: prague.newsroom@reuters.com
