Czech Republic - Factors To Watch on Aug 8

                                
 PRAGUE, Aug 8 (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 + 2 hours)

======================== ECONOMIC DATA ========================
                                
 July inflation and June industrial and construction data at
0700 GMT.
                                
 July unemployment data at 0700 GMT.
                                
 Consumer prices seen up 0.6 percent month-on-month and 6.9
percent year on year. June industrial output growth forecast at
5.4 percent, end July unemployment rate flat at 5.2 percent,
according to a Reuters poll.
                                
 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 - Ceskoslovenska Obchodni Banka (CSOB), unit of KBC
<KBC.BR>, to release H1 results. The presentation with CEO Pavel
Kavanek at 0900 GMT.
                                
 Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-BNK]

====================== TOP NEWS ================================
                                
CZECHS SURPRISE WITH RATE CUT: The Czech central bank
surprisingly cut interest rates by 25 basis points on Thursday,
making good on warnings it could ease due to the strong crown,
which is threatening to drive down inflation and also growth.
                                
Story: [ID:nL7705441] [ID:nL8441840] Related news:
[RTRS-LEN-CZ-PLCY]
                                
 
                                
T-BILL AUCTION: Czech 26-week T-bill yield 3.74 percent,
reviouls 3.92 percent in March 27sale.
                                
Story: [ID:nnPRA002060]  Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-DBT]
                                
 
                                
 ORCO H1 REVENUE DOWN: Czech real estate developer Orco
Property Group <ORCO.PA> <ORCOsp.PR> said its revenues in the
first half dropped 9.6 percent to 113 million euros from 125
million a year ago.
                                
 Story: [ID:nL8494747] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-REAM]
                                
 
                                
 FX RESERVES: The Czech central bank (CNB) said on Thursday
its foreign exchange reserves edged up to 24.35 billion euros at
the end of July from a revised 24.16 billion euros at the end of
the previous month.
                                
 Story: [ID:nL7708467] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-FRX]
                                
 
                                
 GRAIN HARVEST SEEN UP: The Czech Republic's grain harvest
will rise 7.0 percent this year to 6.82 million tonnes, the
Czech Statistics Bureau (CSU) said on Thursday, in its second
crop estimate this season.
                                
  Story: [ID:nPRA002059] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-FOD]
 ---------------------- MARKET SNAPSHOT ------------------------
 Index/Crown Currency  Latest    Prev    Pct change   Pct change
                                
                              close   on day       in 2008
 Czech Equities  <.PX> 1,450.6  1,459.6   -0.62        -20.08
 vs Euro     <EURCZK=>  24.200   24.188   -0.03         +9.53
 vs Dollar      <CZK=>  15.867   15.754   -0.72        +14.51
 U.S. Equities  <.DJI>  11,431   11,656   -1.93        -13.82
 Pvs close or current levels vs prior domestic close at 1500

                                
 
                                
 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 +420 224 190 477;
fax: +420 224 229 935
                                
 E-mail: prague.newsroom@reuters.com
 (Compiled by Jana Mlcochova)