Czech Republic - Factors To Watch on April 16

                                
 PRAGUE, April 16 (Reuters) - Here are news stories, press
reports and events to watch which may affect Czech financial
markets on Thursday:
                                
 ALL TIMES GMT (Czech Republic: GMT + 2 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 central bank governing board to hold a
regular weekly meeting. It is not scheduled to discuss monetary
policy issues.
                                
 Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-CEN]
                                
 
=============================NEWS=============================
                                
 NO AID: The Czech Republic does not need to tap
international financial aid, the Finance Ministry said on
Wednesday following a decision by neighbouring Poland to tap an
IMF standby credit line.
                                
 Story: [ID:nLF453114] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-AID]
                                
 
                                
 NEW BOND WELL-BID: Investors jumped on the Czech Republic's
new 3-year, floating-rate government bond in an inaugural
auction on Wednesday as improved sentiment for central European
assets continues to boost debt sales.
                                
 Story: [ID:nLF19977] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-DBT]
                                
 
                                
 CEE FX GIVE UP GAINS: The Polish zloty regrouped with its
peers to weaken on Wednesday, giving back some of the sharp
gains achieved on the back of the government's decision to
secure a flexible credit line from the IMF.
                                
 Story: [ID:nLF466411] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-FRX]
                                
 
                                
 CEZ DIVIDEND: Czech power firm CEZ <CEZPsp.PR> said on
Wednesday it would propose to pay a 50 crown dividend per share
on 2008 profits, up from 40 crowns last year.
                                
 Story: [ID:nPRA002510] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-DIV]
                                
 
                                
 PPI DROP: Czech industrial producer prices fell 1.1 percent
in March from February, and showed an annual decline of 2.0
percent, from February's 0.6 percent drop.
                                
 Story: [ID:nLF537704] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-ECI]
                                
 
                                
 FOXCONN CAPACITY BOOST: Taiwanese electronics firm Hon Hai
Precision Industry <2317.TW> is considering boosting its
capacity in Europe to handle an expected rise in demand in the
next several years, the chief of its Czech unit said.
                                
 Story: [ID:nLF573807] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-MCE]
                                
 
                                
 RULING PARTY SUFFERS: The main Czech opposition party, the
Social Democrats (CSSD), extended its lead over the ruling Civic
Democrats (ODS) after it toppled the cabinet in a no-confidence
vote, two opinion polls showed on Wednesday.
                                
 Story: [ID:nLF460289] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-POL]
                                
 
 ---------------------- MARKET SNAPSHOT ------------------------
 Index/Crown Currency  Latest    Prev    Pct change   Pct change
                                
                              close   on day       in 2009
 Czech Equities  <.PX>   840.2    840.2   +0.00          n/a 
 vs Euro     <EURCZK=>  26.777   26.777   +0.00         +0.05
 vs Dollar      <CZK=>  20.250   20.249   -0.01         -5.63
 U.S. Equities  <.DJI>   8,030    7,920   +1.38         -8.51
 Pvs close or current levels vs prior domestic close at 1600 GMT

 ==========================PRESS DIGEST=========================
                                
 NEW NAMES: The main opposition Social Democrats submitted
seven nominees to new Prime Minister Jan Fischer for the
caretaker government, including Jan Kohout for the foreign
minister post.
                                
 Hospodarske Noviny, page 1
                                
 
                                
 KALOUSEK LIKELY OUT: Outgoing Finance Minister Miroslav
Kalousek will likely not be in the next caretaker government led
by new Prime Minister Jan Fischer.
                                
 Hospodarske Noviny, page 1
                                
 
                                
 CAR DEALERS: One in ten Czech car dealers is considering
shutting down, according to a report from
PricewaterhouseCoopers.
                                
 Hospodarske Noviny, page 13
                                
 
                                
 EURO OPINION: Around 44 percent of Czechs believe having the
euro currency would be harmful in the time of the global
financial crisis, while 31 percent believe it would help,
according to research by GfK.
                                
 Lidove Noviny, page 15
                                
 
                                
 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)