Czech Republic - Factors To Watch on March 24

                                
 PRAGUE, March 24 (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=========================
                                
 March confidence indicators 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 -The lower house of parliament to continue a session
(until March 25).
                                
 Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-POL]
                                
 
                                
 PRAGUE - Developer Orco Property Group <ORCOsp.PR> to
release 2010 results.
                                
 Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-REA]
                                
 
                                
 PRAGUE - Czech central bank governing board to meet on
interest rates. An announcement is expected at 1200 GMT with a
news conference to follow at 1330 GMT. Nineteen of 20 analysts
in a Reuters poll expect no change.
                                
 Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-INT]
                                
 
============================TOP NEWS===========================
                                
 CENTRAL BANKERS' COMMENTS: Following are comments from Czech
central bankers ahead of a policy meeting on Thursday expected
to hold off on a rise in interest rates due to signs that
demand-led pressures on inflation remain subdued.
                                
 Story: [ID:nLDE72M13G] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-PLCY]
                                
 
                                
 DEMAND STRONG FOR CZECH FLOATER:The Czech Finance Ministry
sold the amount planned in an eighth auction of a floating rate
bond as investors snatched up the relatively cheap paper,
bidding more than three times the amount finally sold.
                                
 Story: [ID:nLDE72M0DJ] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-DBT]
                                
 
                                
 CEZ DELAYS DUKOVANY UNIT 3 RESTART: Czech CEZ's <CEZPsp.PR>
nuclear power plant at Dukovany will delay restarting its unit 3
until Friday afternoon due to further tests, a spokesman for the
power plant said on Wednesday.
                                
 Story: [ID:nPRG004815] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-NUC]
                                
 
                                
 CEE POWER: Czech day-ahead power prices dropped on Wednesday
due to high solar power output while the longer end of the curve
rose on higher coal prices and worries over the future of
nuclear power in Europe, traders said.
                                
 Story: [ID:nLDE72M1UU] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-DRV]
                                
 
                                
 CEE MARKETS: Hungary's forint shed some early gains but
stayed firmer on the day on Wednesday as the prospect of
interest rate cuts receded, while the Czech crown was flat with
investors eyeing a rate meeting on Thursday. 
                                
 Story: [ID:nLDE72M0OQ] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-FRX]
                                
 
                                
 SAZKA LIKELY TO FILE FOR REORGANISATION: Czech lottery firm
Sazka will likely file for reorganisation following pressure for
insolvency proceedings by creditors, Chief Executive Ales Husak
said on Wednesday.
                                
 Story: [ID:nLDE72M1EQ] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-BKRT]
---------------------- MARKET SNAPSHOT ------------------------
 Index/Crown Currency    Latest     Prev   Pct change Pct change
                                
                                 close    on day     in 2011
 vs Euro    <EURCZK=>     24.383     24.402    0.08      2.47
 vs Dollar     <CZK=>     17.322     17.314   -0.05      7.21
 Czech Equities <.PX>  1,225.5    1,225.5      0.48      0.06
 U.S. Equities <.DJI> 12,086.02  12,018.63     0.56      4.39
 Pvs close or current levels vs prior domestic close at 1500 GMT
==========================PRESS DIGEST=========================
                                
 
                                
 SAZKA'S LICENCE TO BE REVOKED: Finance Ministry is going to
launch proceedings on Thursday that will lead to revoking the
national lottery operator Sazka's lottery licence, the daily
reported citing an unnamed source. The process takes 30-60 days.
                                
 Hospodarske Noviny, page 17
                                
 
                                
 INVETORS SELLS CEZ: U.S. company Capital Research and
Management sold its entire 3 percent stake in Czech power group
CEZ <CEZPsp.PR>, probably on March 16. The company was CEZ's
fourth largest investor after the government, Unicredit
<CRDI.MI> and Citibank Europe <C.N>.
                                
 Hospodarske Noviny, page 22
                                
 
                                
 TOYOTA-PEUGEOT CZECH VENTURE SEES PROFIT FALL: Toyota Motor
<7203.T> and PSA Peugeot-Citroen <PEUP.PA> joint venture in the
Czech Republic saw its profit drop to 1.4 billion crowns last
year. It expects this year's production to stay the same as last
year or be slightly lower.
                                
 Hospodarske Noviny, page 18
                                
 
                                
 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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