PRAGUE, March 3 (Reuters) - Here are news stories, press
reports and events to watch which may affect Czech financial
markets on Wednesday.
ALL TIMES GMT (Czech Republic: GMT + 1 hour)
=========================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 - 10-year government bond auction <CZ1002471=>.
Related news: []
==========================TOP NEWS=============================
CZECH ELECTION: A Czech transport strike set for Thursday
has drawn the battle lines for a general election in May, giving
the left a popular rallying call to protect welfare but casting
the country's euro convergence programme into doubt.
Story: [] Related news: []
ELECTION FACTBOX: The Czech Republic will hold a general
election on May 28-29 that looks likely to bring the centre-left
Social Democrats to power after four years, handing them the
task to slash a crisis-inflated budget deficit.
Story: [] Related news: []
IMF REVIEW: The Czech Republic's economic recovery from the
recent global financial crisis is likely to be gradual and
monetary policy for now is appropriate but should shift to
tightening as soon as the rebound picks up, the International
Monetary Fund said on Tuesday.
Story: [] Related news: []
CEE MARKETS: The zloty traded near 14-month highs on Tuesday
as data showed the Polish economy grew slightly faster than
expected in the fourth quarter of last year and central European
currencies held onto recent gains.
Story: [] Related news: []
---------------------- MARKET SNAPSHOT ------------------------
Index/Crown Currency Latest Prev Pct change Pct change
close on day in 2010
Czech Equities <> 1147,1 1147,1 -0,08 2,67
vs Euro <EURCZK=> 25,755 25,74 -0,06 2,14
vs Dollar <CZK=> 18,892 18,904 0,06 -2,8
U.S. Equities <> 10405,98 10403,79 0,02 -0,21
Pvs close or current levels vs prior domestic close at 1600
=========================PRESS DIGEST===========================
STRIKE: The lower house of the Parliament approved on
Tuesday lowering of VAT on employee benefits to prevent a
transport strike. But trade unions continue to threaten with
stopping trains and busses on Thursday. They demand that
politicians pledge that the bill also gets approval in Senate,
the upper house of the Parliament. But parties that can form a
majority there say they will not support the bill.
Hospodarske Noviny, page 1
LENDING: Leaders of the five largest Czech banks agreed they
should step up efforts to acquire new clients. But Czech
UniCredit chief Jiri Kunert said in a debate that banks must
monitor companies more closely to provide lending. The corporate
sector is suffering from a lack of new orders and becomes less
credible, he said.
Hospodarske Noviny, page 20
BANKRUPTCIES: The number of companies filing for bankruptcy
rose by 15 percent year on year in February, a Creditreform
survey showed.
Hospodarske Noviny, page 18
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
(Compiled by Jana Mlcochova)
E-mail: prague.newsroom@reuters.com
