Czech Republic - Factors To Watch on April 8

                                
 PRAGUE, April 8 (Reuters) - Here are news stories, press
reports and events to watch which may affect Czech financial
markets on Friday.
                                
 ALL TIMES GMT (Czech Republic: GMT + 2 hours)

=========================ECONOMIC DATA=========================
                                
 March unemployment data at 0700 GMT.
                                
 March foreign exchange reserves data at 0800 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 - Czech President Vaclav Klaus to meet Israeli Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (0700 GMT).
                                
 Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-DIP]
============================TOP NEWS===========================
                                
 HAMPL: DEMAND REMAINS MUTED: Demand pressures in the Czech
Republic remain subdued, central bank vice governor Mojmir Hampl
said on Thursday.
                                
 Story: [ID:nLDE736273]  Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-INT]
                                
 
                                
 CZECHS, GERMANS EYE JOINING POWER GRID DEVELOPMENT: The
Czech Republic and Germany on Thursday agreed to coordinate
development of their power grids, which Germany's neighbors say
is needed to deal with problems stemming from unpredictable
renewable generation.
                                
 Story: [ID:nLDE736273]  Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-INT]
                                
 
                                
 IMF SEES A SHARP DROP IN CZECH BUDGET GAP: The International
Monetary Fund said on Thursday it expected the Czech Republic's
fiscal deficit to drop to 3.7 percent of gross domestic product
(GDP) this year, below the 4.4 percent forecast by the
government.
                                
 Story: [ID:nPRG004847]  Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-PLCY]
                                
 
                                
 GOVT SHAKEN BY JUNIOR PARTY CRISIS: Internal rifts in a
junior Czech government coalition party flared up on Thursday,
threatening to destabilise the centre-right cabinet as it tries
to push ahead with reforms to balance the pension and healthcare
systems.
                                
 Story: [ID:nLDE736173] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-POL]
                                
 
                                
 SKODA SALES SOAR: Czech Volkswagen <VOWG.DE> unit Skoda Auto
said on Thursday its first-quarter unit sales jumped by 21.4
percent year-on-year to record 217,100 cars, driven mainly by
emerging markets including Russia, India and China.
                                
 Story: [ID:nPRG004846] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-AUT]
                                
 
                                
 FOREX RESERVES: The Czech central bank (CNB) said on
Thursday its foreign exchange reserves dipped to 29.90 billion
euros at the end of March, from a revised 30.44 billion at the
end of the previous month.
                                
 Story: [ID:nLDE7360E2] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-FRX]
                                
 
                                
 CEE MARKETS: The Polish zloty rebounded a touch on Thursday
after the European Central Bank raised interest rates but said
the hike was not necessarily the first in a series, limiting
pressure on Central European currencies.
                                
 Story: [ID:nLDE7360L2] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-FRX]
                                
 
                                
 CEE POWER: Czech day-ahead power fell on Thursday due to an
expected surge of renewable energy in the region, while
electricity for 2012 delivery declined as many market
participants booked profits, traders said.
                                
 Story: [ID:nLDE7361QP] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-DRV]
 ---------------------- MARKET SNAPSHOT ------------------------
 Index/Crown Currency    Latest     Prev   Pct change Pct change
                                
                                 close    on day     in 2011
 vs Euro    <EURCZK=>     24.381     24.415    0.14       2.48
 vs Dollar     <CZK=>     16.933     16.911   -0.13       9.29
 Czech Equities <.PX>  1,272.6    1,272.6     -0.22       3.9
 U.S. Equities <.DJI> 12,409.49  12,426.75    -0.14       7.19
 Pvs close or current levels vs prior domestic close at 1500 GMT
 ==========================PRESS DIGEST=========================
                                
 TESCO TO BOOST CZECH OPS: British supermarket chain Tesco
 <TSCO.L> took over the 82 Zabka grocery shops and plans to
boost their chain to hundreds within five years.
                                
 Hospodarske Noviny, page 15
                                
 
                                
 SCEPTICAL CZECHS: A STEM agency poll showed that 55 percent
of Czechs expect the economic situation of their households to
worsen. Almost two thirds of Czech expect deterioration of the
country's economy within the next year, the poll also showed.
                                
 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>

                                
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