Czech Republic - Factors To Watch on Oct 2

                                
 PRAGUE, Oct 2 (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 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 - Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek, Czech central bank
(CNB) Governor Zdenek Tuma and Finance Minister Miroslav
Kalousek to meet at 0600 GMT. The meeting will focus on the
impact of the financial crisis on the Czech Republic. Press
briefing at 0700 GMT.
                                
 Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-CEN]

                                
 PRAGUE - 13-week T-bill auction. 
                                
 Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-DBT]

                                
 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-PLCY]
========================= TOP NEWS ============================
                                
 INVESTORS UP ZENTIVA STAKE: A private shareholder has raised
its stake in Czech drug maker Zentiva <ZNTVsp.PR>, challenging
French suitor Sanofi-Aventis <SASY.PA> which is bidding to take
over the Czech generics firm.
                                
 Story: [ID:nL2394975] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-DRU]

                                
 CZECHS NOT EXPOSED TO CRISIS: The Czech Republic is not
under threat of suffering a financial crisis, Prime Minister
Mirek Topolanek said.     
                                
 Story: [ID:nL149518] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-PLCY]

                                
 CEZ TO SPEND 420 MLN EUROS FOR ALBANIAN POWER UNIT: The
Czech power utility CEZ <CEZPsp.PR> will spend more than 420
million euros ($594.1 million) to buy a controlling stake in
Albania's power distributor, upgrade its grid and pay its debts,
Albania's sale advisers said.
                                
 Story: [ID:nL2130252] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-ELG]
                                
 
                                
 ZENTIVA HAS NO PLANS TO CALL EGM: Zentiva <ZNTVsp.PR> said
it had no plans to call a shareholders meeting to discuss a
higher Sanofi-Aventis <SASY.PA> bid.
                                
 Story: [ID:nPRG001033] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-DRU]
                                
 
                                
 PAIN DEEPENS FOR POLISH, CZECH MANUFACTURERS: Manufacturing
woes in emerging central Europe's two biggest economies are
deepening, data showed on Wednesday, highlighting Poland's
complicated path to euro zone entry and paving the way for Czech
interest rate cuts.
                                
 Story: [ID:nL1624853] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-ECI]
                                
 
                                
 CZECHS CUT 2007 DEFICIT ESTIMATE: The Czech fiscal deficit
dropped to 0.99 percent of gross domestic product last year, a
lower gap than the previously reported 1.58 percent, the Czech
Statistical Bureau (CSU) said on Wednesday in a semi-annual
fiscal notification to the EU.
                                
 Story: [ID:nLU327178] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-PLCY]
                                
 
                                
 CZECH BANKS SEE NO IMPACT FROM GLOBAL TURMOIL: The global
financial markets turmoil does not concern large Czech banks,
the chief executives of two of the three largest lenders said on
Wednesday.
                                
 Story: [ID:nL1605080] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-BNK]
                                
 
                                
 CZECH C.BANK CHIEF SAY BANKS HEALTHY: Czech banks are
healthy and hold no toxic assets in a significant amount, Czech
central bank (CNB) chief said on Wednesday.
                                
 Story: [ID:nPRG001032 ] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-BNK]
---------------------- MARKET SNAPSHOT ------------------------
 Index/Crown Currency  Latest    Prev    Pct change   Pct change
                                
                              close   on day       in 2008
 Czech Equities  <.PX> 1,235.3  1,204.7   +2.54        -31.94
 vs Euro     <EURCZK=>  24.505   24.550   +0.18         +8.14
 vs Dollar      <CZK=>  17.639   17.518   -0.59         +3.11
 U.S. Equities  <.DJI>  10,831   10,851   -0.18        -18.35
 Pvs close or current levels vs prior domestic close at 1500
 ======================= PRESS DIGEST===========================
                                
 NOVA TO HIKE AD PRICES: Czech television channel TV Nova,
CME's <CETVsp.PR> flagship station in central Europe, plans to
raise 2009 advertising rates by 20 percent.
                                
 E15, page 1
                                
 
                                
 ZENTIVA NEW SHAREHOLDER UNVEILED: Belviport Trading Ltd., a
company which holds a 10.06 percent stake in Czech drug maker
Zentiva <ZNTVsp.PR> and whose owners have remained anonymous, is
owned by Czech businessman Pavel Tykac. He has no strategic
plans with his stake and plans to sell it, the daily reports
citing unnamed sources.
                                
 Mlada Fronta Dnes, page B5

                                
 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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 (Compiled by Jana Mlcochova)