Czech Republic - Factors To Watch on March 31

                                
 PRAGUE, March 31 (Reuters) - Here are news stories, press
reports and events to watch which may affect Czech financial
markets on Monday:
                                
 ALL TIMES GMT (Czech Republic: GMT + 1 hours)

 ======================== 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 Czech currency.............................[CZK/]
                                
 
========================= EVENTS ===============================
                                
 PRAGUE - The central bank releases February money supply and
Q4 foreign debt data at 0800 GMT.
                                
 Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-CEN]
                                
 
================== ELSEWHERE IN NEWS ===========================
                                
 PHILIP MORRIS SHARES JUMP: Shares in Czech cigarette maker
Philip Morris CR <TABKsp.PR> soared 13 percent at open on Friday
to 7,313 crowns after the company reported an unexpected jump in
profit.
                                
 Story: [ID:nL28123013] Related news [RTRS-LEN-CZ-BEV]
                                
 
                                
 CPI SEEN SLOWING: Czech inflation probably began
descending from nine-year highs in March but still stayed at the
top edge of the central bank's forecast range, a Reuters poll
showed on Friday.
                                
 Story: [ID:nL28527232] Related news [RTRS-LEN-CZ-ECI]
                                
 
                                
 WIND FARM BOOM: The Czech Republic may boost wind farm
generation capacity to some 700 megawatts by 2010 from 114
megawatts last year, an official at the International Finance
Corporation (IFC) said on Friday.
                                
 Story: [ID:nL28786498] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-RNW]
                                
 
 ---------------------- MARKET SNAPSHOT ------------------------
 Index/Crown Currency  Latest    Prev    Pct change   Pct change
                                
                              close   on day       in 2008
 Czech Equities  <.PX> 1,563.5  1,541.4   +1.43        -13.86
 vs Euro     <EURCZK=>  25.340   25.340   +0.00         +4.58
 vs Dollar      <CZK=>  16.041   16.016   -0.17        +13.26
 U.S. Equities  <.DJI>  12,216   12,302   -0.70         -7.90
 Pvs close or current levels vs prior domestic close at 1500

======================= PRESS DIGEST ===========================
                                
 U.S. RADAR DEAL: The Czechs have wrapped up talks with the
United States about siting the U.S. radar base on the Czech
territory, Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek said.
                                
 Hospodarske Noviny, page 1
                                
 
                                
 PENSION SYSTEM FINANCING: Labour Minister Petr Necas wants
to use privatisation revenues for long-term financing of the
state pension system with co-operation of the central bank..
                                
 E15, page 1
                                
 
                                
 CEZ'S ELEKTROVOD SALE: Czech power firm CEZ <CEZPsp.PR> sold
its 50 percent stake in Slovak transmission lines constructor
Elektrovod Holding to Slovak Elvod for an undisclosed price in a
move to divest non-core activities.
                                
 Hospodarske Noviny, page 16
                                
 
                                
 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 +420 224 190 477;
fax: +420 224 229 935
                                
 E-mail: prague.newsroom@reuters.com
 (Compiled by Martin Dokoupil)