PRAGUE, April 24 (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 hour)
======================== ECONOMIC DATA ========================
Real-time economic data releases....................<ECONCZ>
Previous stories on Czech data.............[]
Overview of economic data and forecasts..........<CZ/ECON15>
Updates on CEE currencies.............................[]
============================EVENTS==============================
VIENNA, Austria - Austria's Vienna Insurance Group <VIGR.VI>
<VIGRsp.PR> to hold an annual shareholders' meeting.
Related news: []
PRAGUE - President Vaclav Klaus to meet designate Prime
Minister Jan Fischer at 0900 GMT.
Related news: []
=============================NEWS===============================
LATEST FORECAST: The Czech Finance Ministry's latest
economic forecast expects gross domestic product to contract by
2.3 percent in 2009, a ministry spokesman said on Friday.
Story: [] Related news: []
CEE MARKETS: Investors pushed the Polish zloty to a two-week
low on Thursday with short bets following last week's rally,
while strong demand greeted Hungary's first bond auctions in
months.
Story: [] Related news: []
EUROBOND: The Czech Finance Ministry will negotiate
parametres of a eurobond issue in next few days as market
conditions improved, Deputy Finance Minister Eduard Janota said
Story: [] Related news: []
OUTPUT DATA: The Czech Statistical Bureau will start
releasing flash estimates for monthly industrial output data as
interest in the economic indicator rises amid the protracted
economic crisis, the bureau said.
Story: [] Related news: []
EU DELAYS CROATIA TALKS: The European Union has postponed an
accession conference with Croatia planned for Friday after the
country failed to reach progress in a border dispute with EU
member Slovenia, the Czech EU presidency said.
Story: [] Related news: []
ENTROPA: The author of the "Entropa" art piece mocking EU
member states will take the huge mosaic off an EU building in
Brussels in protest against the fall of the Czech government, he
said.
Story: [] Related news: []
BUDGET GAP: A 3.5 percent drop in Czech gross domestic
product this year would make it impossible to keep the central
state budget deficit under 150 billion crowns ($7.27 billion),
Finance Minister Miroslav Kalousek said.
Story: [] Related news: []
=========================IN OTHER NEWS=========================
TEMELIN STOP: CEZ <> will shut Temelin nuclear
power plant's second unit for 82 days in a planned refueling
maintenance.
Related news: []
---------------------- MARKET SNAPSHOT ------------------------
Index/Crown Currency Latest Prev Pct change Pct change
close on day in 2009
Czech Equities <> 824.1 824.1 +0.00 N/A
vs Euro <EURCZK=> 26.945 27.025 +0.00 -0.87
vs Dollar <CZK=> 20.469 20.471 +0.03 -6.62
U.S. Equities <> 7,957 7,887 +0.89 -9.34
Pvs close or current levels vs prior domestic close at 1600 GMT
==========================PRESS DIGEST=========================
SKODA EXPORTS TO GERMANY UP: Volkswagen unit Skoda Auto
<VOWG.DE> raised exports to Germany by a third in the first
quarter to 36,182 vehicles.
Hospodarske Noviny, page 15
LUKOIL IN CZECH: Lukoil <LKOH.MM> still has interest in a
stake in Czech refinery Ceska Rafinerska, majority owned by PKN
Orlen's <PKNA.WA> Unipetrol <>, but will not buy a
share for any cost, its third largest shareholder Leonid Fedun
said.
Mlada Fronta Dnes, page A10
Reuters has not verified the media reports, nor does it
vouch for their accuracy.
For Instant Views of key economic data click on []
For summary of economic data and forecasts <CZ/ECON01>
For diary of forthcoming Czech events []
For calendar of east European economic indicators []
TOP NEWS -- Emerging markets []
TOP NEWS -- Convergence watch []
For an economic indicator diary for the euro zone, the United
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E-mail: prague.newsroom@reuters.com
(Compiled by Jason Hovet)
