Czech Republic - Factors To Watch on Jan 19

                                
  PRAGUE, Jan 19 (Reuters) - Here are news stories, press
reports and events to watch which may affect Czech financial
markets on Tuesday.
                                
 ALL TIMES GMT (Czech Republic: GMT + 1 hour)

=========================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 - Leading rigtist parties Civic Democrats to
introduce proposals of measures to combat economic downturn and
a rising public debt.
                                
  Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-POL]
=======================MORNING NEWS===========================
                                
  TUMA ON RATES: It may be possible that Czech interest rates
are at their lowest in the present easing cycle, central bank
Governor Zdenek Tuma was quoted as saying on Tuesday.
                                
 Story: [ID:nPRG001528] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-MCE]
=========================TOP NEWS=============================
                                
 BUDGET: The Czech government agreed on Monday to freeze 5.8
billion crowns ($321.1 million) in spending until a review in
mid-year shows whether the country's public budget deficit is on
target, Prime Minister Jan Fischer said.
                                
 Story: [ID:nLDE60A0YA] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-MCE]
                                
 
                                
 IPO: Czech-Slovak private equity group Penta Investments is
considering an initial public offering of its betting unit
Fortuna as one of the options to raise funds for its further
development, a spokesman said on Monday.
                                
 Story: [ID:nLDE60H17A] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-IPO]
                                
 
                                
 CEE MARKETS: Central European currencies rose on Monday in
thin trade due to the U.S holidays and the zloty could test 4.0
per euro soon, dealers say. 
                                
 Story: [ID:nLDE60H0I8] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-FRX]
 ---------------------- MARKET SNAPSHOT ------------------------
 Index/Crown Currency  Latest    Prev    Pct change   Pct change
                                
                              close   on day       in 2010
 Czech Equities <.PX>  1208,2    1208,2    1,91       8,14
vs Euro   <EURCZK=>    25,822    25,871    0,19       1,88
vs Dollar    <CZK=>    17,922    17,987    0,36       2,48
 U.S. Equities <.DJI>  10609,65  10710,55  -0,94      1,74
 Pvs close or current levels vs prior domestic close at 1600

=========================PRESS DIGEST===========================
                                
 BANKRUPTCY: A bankruptcy proceedings were launched on Monday
against clothing maker OP Prostejov. The factory has a debt
totalling 1.6 billion crowns ($89.14 million), of which 1.35
billion is owed to banks Ceska Sporitelna <ERSTsp.PR>,
Raiffeisenbank, and Citibank.
                                
 Hospodarske Noviny, page 19
                                
 
                                
 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
                                
 (Compiled by Jana Mlcochova)
                                
 E-mail: prague.newsroom@reuters.com