Czech Republic - Factors To Watch on March 17

                                
  PRAGUE, March 17 (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.............[CZ-RTRS-LEN-ECI]
                                
 Overview of economic data and forecasts..........<CZ/ECON15>
                                
 Updates on CEE currencies............................[CEE/]
 
==========================EVENTS================================
                                
 PRAGUE - Czech Energy Congress "Energy Reliability and
Security"(www.business-forum.cz/10-energeticky-kongres-CR/ener10.pdf).
                                
 Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-ELG]
                                
 
                                
 PRAGUE - Conference on banking and finance with central
banker Vladimir Tomsik at 1530 GMT.
                                
 Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-PLCY]
==========================TOP NEWS=============================
                                
 CEZ BIDDING FOR PAK: Czech power group CEZ <CEZPsp.PR> has
made a bid for Poland's 50 percent stake in utility PAK, making
it the second company after ENEA <ENAE.WA> to confirm an
interest in PAK.
                                
 Story: [ID:nLDE62F0JF] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-ELG]
                                
 
                                
 ELECTION: The Czech leftist Social Democrats (CSSD) widened
lead over their main right-wing rival, an opinion poll showed on
Tuesday, raising the chances the party will have the main say in
forming a government after election in May.
                                
 Story: [ID:nLDE62F1JY] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-POL]
                                
 
                                
 RAILWAYS: State-run Czech Railways will launch tenders this
year worth a record 16 billion crowns ($858.4 million) to buy
new trains and modernise old ones, a spokesman said on Tuesday.
                                
Story: [ID:nLDE62F0PH] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-RRL]
                                
 
                                
 RETAIL SALES: Czech retail sales fell by 5.0 percent
year-on-year in January, a much bigger drop than analysts'
forecast, data showed on Tuesday.
                                
 Story: [ID:nLDE62F0AZ] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-ECI]
 ---------------------- MARKET SNAPSHOT ------------------------
 Index/Crown Currency  Latest    Prev    Pct change   Pct change
                                
                              close   on day       in 2010
 Czech Equities <.PX>   1201,9   1201,9    1,28       7,57
vs Euro   <EURCZK=>    25,447    25,44    -0,03      3,31
vs Dollar    <CZK=>    18,437     18,472   0,19      -0,33
 U.S. Equities <.DJI>  10685,98  10642,15  0,41      2,47
 Pvs close or current levels vs prior domestic close at 1600

=========================PRESS DIGEST===========================
                                
 J&T, BAKALA ALSO BIDDING FOR PAK: Slovak private equity
group J&T and financier Zdenek Bakala's investment unit are also
bidding for Poland's power group PAK, along with Czech 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
                                
 (Compiled by Jana Mlcochova)
                                
 E-mail: prague.newsroom@reuters.com