Czech Republic - Factors To Watch on March 27

                                
 PRAGUE, March 27 (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 + 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 ===============================
                                
 T-BILL AUCTION: The finance ministry holds a 26-week T-bill
auction. Yield rose to 3.85 percent in the previous auction on
Feb 21, from 3.52 percent in September.
                                
 Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-DBT]
                                
 
                                
 ORCO RESULTS: Developer Orco Property Group <ORCO.PA>
<ORCOsp.PR> to publish 2007 results.
                                
 Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-REA]
                                
 
                                
 VIG RESULTS: Vienna Insurance Group (VIG) <VIGR.VI>
<VIGRsp.PR> to publish 2007 results.
                                
 Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-INS]
                                
 
                                
 PARLIAMENT MEETS: The lower house continues session, which
includes first reading of the European Lisbon treaty.
                                
 Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-POL]
                                
 
======================= TOP NEWS ===============================
  CZECH RATES ON HOLD: The Czech central bank left interest
rates flat on Wednesday, meeting market expectations that the
strong crown currency would stay its hand after tightening
monetary conditions in the fast growing economy.
                                
 Story: [ID:nL26463955] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-CEN]
                                
 Highlightts: [ID:nL26312794]
                                
 
                                
 RATE HIKES IN POLAND, ROMANIA: The Polish and Romanian
central banks raised interest rates on Wednesday and Hungarian
policymakers were poised to follow suit to combat accelerating
inflation in central and eastern Europe.
                                
 Story: [ID:nL26473591] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-CEN]
                                
 
================== ELSEWHERE IN NEWS ===========================
                                
 ARBITRATION WIN: The Czech Republic has defeated a 5.79
billion crown ($355.7 million) arbitration claim by steel maker
ArcelorMittal <ISPA.AS> <MT.N> <MTP.PA>, the finance ministry
said on Wednesday.
                                
 Story: [ID:nL26917642] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-STL]
                                
 
                                
 ECM NAV RISE: Czech real estate developer ECM Real Estate
Investments <ECMPsp.PR> said on Wednesday its net asset value
(NAV) rose to 244 million euros ($383.9 million) in 2007, up 25
percent on the year.
                                
 Story: [ID:nL26451063] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-REA]
 
=================== PRESS DIGEST ==============================
                                
 INSURER SALE: Erste Bank <ERST.VI> <ERSTsp.PR> sold insurer
Versicherung including its Czech unit Pojistovna Ceske
Sporitelny to Vienna Insurance Group <VIGR.VI> <VIGRsp.PR> for
1.445 billion euros ($2.28 billion).
                                
 Hospodarske 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 +420 224 190 477;
fax: +420 224 229 935
                                
 E-mail: prague.newsroom@reuters.com
 (Compiled by Martin Dokoupil)