Czech Republic - Factors To Watch on Aug 14

                                
 PRAGUE, Aug 14 (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 ========================
                                
 Q2 gross domestic product estimate, July producer prices and
June retail sales and foreign trade prices data at 0700 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 Czech currency.............................[CZK/]

====================== EVENTS ================================
                                
 PRAGUE - Power firm CEZ <CEZPsp.PR> to release H1 results.
News conference with CEO Martin Roman and CFO Martin Novak at
0730 GMT. Q2 net profit seen at 10.53 billion Czech crowns ($663
million) in a Reuters poll of twelve analysts [ID:nLB332292].
                                
 PRAGUE - Czech central bank governing board to hold a
regular weekly meeting. It is not scheduled to discuss monetary
policy issues.
====================== TOP NEWS ================================
                                
 CZECH GOV TO PAY DAMAGES: The Czech government must pay 8.86
billion crowns ($557.8 million) in damages to a private company
over failed blood supply deals in the early 1990s, news Web site
of the daily Pravo, www.novinky.cz, said.
                                
 Story: [ID:nLD466373] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-GVD]
                                

                                
CROWN RETREATS: The Czech crown retreated to the weak side of
the psychological 24.00 per euro level on Wednesday, giving up
Tuesday's gains after being knocked back by a stronger dollar.
                                
Story: [ID:nLD364251] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-FRX]
                                
 
                                
 UNIPETROL SEES NO HEDGING, CANNOT GUARANTEE PROFIT TARGET:
Czech oil processing group Unipetrol <UNPEsp.PR> will likely
halt hedging against rising price of crude oil as the market has
stabilised, Unipetrol's chief executive said. He also said the
company cannot guarantee it will meet its full-year operating
profit target of 4.8 billion crowns ($302.2 million).
                                
  Story: [ID:nPRG000946] [ID:nLD250369]  Related news:
[RTRS-LEN-CZ-OIL]
                                

                                
 UNIPETROL NET DROPS: Net profit at Czech oil processing
group Unipetrol <UNPEsp.PR> dropped by bigger-than-expected 80
percent in the second quarter, the company said.
                                
 Story: [ID:nLD153282]  Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-OIL]

 ---------------------- MARKET SNAPSHOT ------------------------
 Index/Crown Currency  Latest    Prev    Pct change   Pct change
                                
                              close   on day       in 2008
 Czech Equities  <.PX> 1,448.3  1,446.5   +0.12        -20.21
 vs Euro     <EURCZK=>  24.105   23.450   -2.72         +9.94
 vs Dollar      <CZK=>  16.170   14.901   -7.85        +12.36
 U.S. Equities  <.DJI>  11,533   11,642   -0.94        -13.06
 Pvs close or current levels vs prior domestic close at 1500

====================== PRESS DIGEST===========================

                                
 U.S. RADAR BASE: Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek said
the U.S. missile shield defence system, part of which is planned
on the Czech soil, poses no threat for Russia. By rejecting it,
the country would be voluntarily returning to the Russian sphere
of influence.
                                
 Mlada fronta Dnes, page 11
                                
 
                                
 PRICE PRESSURES SEEN EASING: Growth in food prices, one of
the main factors for high inflation at the end of the last year,
is gradually fading, monetary and statistics department director
Tomas Holub said. The crown's exchange rate will significantly
dampen inflation in upcoming months, he said.
                                
 Ekonom, page 66

                                
 ARBITRATION: Czechs should not pay damages to private
company Diag Human over failed blood supply deals levied by an
arbitration court and should challenge the ruling, health
minister Tomas Julinek said.
                                
 Lidove Noviny, page 2
                                
 
                                
 
                                
 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 Jana Mlcochova)