Czech Republic - Factors To Watch on April 15

                                
 PRAGUE, April 15 (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 + 2 hour)

======================== ECONOMIC DATA ========================
                                
 March producer prices and February foreign trade prices data
at 0700 GMT.
                                
 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 - 3-year government bond auction <CZ1002505=>.
                                
 Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-DBT]
                                
 
                                
 PRAGUE - An informal meeting of EU Ministers of the
Environment to continue. Three main topics to be discussed -
adaptation to climate change, finance for climate change and
strategy for international climate talks. News conference 1015
GMT.
                                
 Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-ENV]
                                
 
=============================NEWS=============================
                                
 ZLOTY BOOSTS CEE FX: Poland's zloty jumped more than 2
percent on Tuesday when the country looked ready to request a
$20.5 billion flexible credit line from the IMF, leading gains
for emerging European currencies.
                                
 Story: [ID:nLE101059] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-FRX]
                                
 
                                
 DATA WORSENS: Czech industrial output shrank by nearly a
quarter and retail sales fell far more than expected in
February, strengthening the case for more interest rate cuts
although some analysts said the data could signal the bottom.
                                
 Story: [ID:nLE159367] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-MCE]
                                
 
                                
 IMF VIEW: The Czech economy will shrink by 1.3 percent this
year, the International Monetary Fund said on Tuesday, cutting
its previous forecast for a 1.5 percent expansion.
                                
 Story: [ID:nLE434095] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-MCE]
                                
 
                                
 EU SUPERVISION PLAN: The Czech central bank challenged on
Tuesday parts of the EU's plans to reform financial supervision
in light of the global financial crisis.
                                
 Story: [ID:nLE472904] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-REGS]
                                
 
 EARLY ELECTION BACKED: The outgoing Czech cabinet backed on
Tuesday a bill allowing an election later this year.
                                
 Story: [ID:nLE219537] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-POL]
                                
 
                                
 EU COURT ACTION: The European Commission will take court
action against the Czech Republic and Poland for only partly
implementing measures to safeguard electricity supplies, it said
on Tuesday.
                                
 Story: [ID:nLE408970] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-REGS]
                                
 
 ---------------------- MARKET SNAPSHOT ------------------------
 Index/Crown Currency  Latest    Prev    Pct change   Pct change
                                
                              close   on day       in 2009
 Czech Equities  <.PX>   845.0    845.0   +0.00          n/a 
 vs Euro     <EURCZK=>  26.720   26.720   +0.00         +0.26
 vs Dollar      <CZK=>  20.164   20.153   +0.04         -5.13
 U.S. Equities  <.DJI>   7,920    8,058   -1.71         -9.76
 Pvs close or current levels vs prior domestic close at 1600 GMT

 ==========================PRESS DIGEST=========================
                                
 KLAUS BACKS KALOUSEK: President Vaclav Klaus backed keeping
Finance Minister Miroslav Kalousek in the caretaker government
of new Prime Minister Jan Fischer.
                                
 Hospodarske Noviny, page 1
                                
 
                                
 EARLY ELECTION COST: Early elections in the autumn will cost
1.25 billion crowns ($62.53 million), deputy finance minister
Eduard Janota said.
                                
 E15, page 1
                                
 
                                
 CZECH VS SLOVAK: The fall of exports and industry has been
deeper in Slovakia than the Czech Republic since the former
adopted the euro this year, Vice-Governor Miroslav Singer said.
                                
 Hospodarske Noviny, page 9
                                
 
                                
 PRICE WARS: E.ON <EONGn.DE> has started offering 20 percent
discounts on electricity prices for next year to households and
small businesses, in competition to CEZ <CEZPsp.PR>.
                                
 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
  (Compiled by Jason Hovet)