Slovakia - Factors To Watch on May 2

                                
 BRATISLAVA, May 2 (Reuters) - Here are news stories, press
reports and events to watch which may affect Slovak financial
markets on Friday.
                                
 
                                
 STATE BUDGET
                                
 The finance ministry will publish January-April central
state budget data.
                                
 
                                
 C.BANK FOREX RESERVES
                                
 The central bank will release its weekly foreign currency
reserves data, 1200 GMT.
                                
 
                                
 CROWN HITS RECORD HIGH ON CORPORATE ORDERS
                                
 The Slovak crown hit an all-time high of 32.190 to the euro
<EURSKK=> before easing back on Wednesday, boosted by orders
from corporate clients following a positive assessment of
Slovakia's euro entry bid in a leaked European Commission
document.
                                
 [ID:nPRG000780] [RTRS-MMT-FRX-EUR-SK]
                                
 
                                
 EURO CONCERNS HIGH AS DECISION LOOMS-SURVEY
                                
 Three quarters of Slovaks are concerned about adopting the
euro, a survey showed on Wednesday, a week before the European
Commission rules on the country's readiness to join the euro
zone.
                                
 [ID:nL30818101] [RTRS-DIP-POL-EU-SK]
                                
 
                                
 SLOVAK TELEKOM TO PAY 3.0 BLN CROWNS IN DIVIDENDS
                                
 The annual shareholders meeting of fixed-line operator
Slovak Telekom agreed on Wednesday to pay 3 billion crowns
($144.6 million) in dividends, the company said.
                                
 [ID:nL30255426] [RTRS-TELPHON-DIV-SK]
                                
 
                                
 PRESS DIGEST
                                
 ------------
                                
 U.S. STEEL HIKES PRICES
                                
 U.S Steel Kosice, the Slovak unit of United States Steel
Corp. <X.N> announced it would raise prices of its cold-rolled
and flat-rolled products by 80 euro ($125) per tonne, effective
from June.
                                
 Pravda, page 16
                                
 
                                
 CENTRAL BANK BACKS SECOND PILLAR
                                
 The central bank has stressed the necessity to evaluate
benefits of the private pension scheme on a long-term basis
instead of short-term. The government of Robert Fico slammed
private pension funds for loosing money due world's financial
crisis calling on Slovaks to leave the system.
                                
 Sme, page 5
                                
 
                                
 FINANCIAL SYSTEM
                                
 Slovakia's financial system did not suffer from the world's
financial crisis, being shielded by the country's robust growth,
the central bank wrote in an analysis.
                                
 Sme, page 5
                                
 
                                
 BANKS' NET PROFIT
                                
 2007 aggregate net profit of country's three biggest banks,
Slovenska Sporitelna, a unit of Erste Bank <ERST.VI>, the Tatra
Banka unit of Raiffeisen <RIBH.VI> and VUB, a unit of Intesa
SanPaolo <ISM.MI>, was more than 3 billion crowns ($145.5
million).
                                
 Sme, page 5
                                
 
                                
 
                                
 Reuters has not verified the media reports, nor does it
vouch for their accuracy
                                
 
                                
 News editor of the day: Peter Laca, +421 2 5341 8402; fax
+421 2 5341 8403
                                
 E-mail: editorial@reuters.sk
                                
 For real-time index quotes, double click in brackets:
                                
 Warsaw WIG20 <.WIG20>  Budapest BUX <.BUX>  Prague PX50
<.PX50>
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