Czech Republic - Factors To Watch on Dec 16

                                
  PRAGUE, Dec 16 (Reuters) - Here are news stories, press
reports and events to watch which may affect Czech financial
markets on Wednesday.
                                
 ALL TIMES GMT (Czech Republic: GMT + 1 hour)

=========================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 CEE currencies.............................[CEE/]
                                

=============================EVENTS===========================
                                
  PRAGUE - Czech central bank governing board to meet on
interest rates. An announcement is expected sometime after 1100
GMT with a news conference to follow at around 1430 GMT.
                                
  Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-CEN]
                                
 
                                
 LUXEMBOURG - Developer Orco Property Group <ORCOsp.PR>
<ORCO.PA> holds general meetings for warrant and bond holders
(1030 GMT, 1330 GMT).
                                
 Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-REA]
============================TOP NEWS============================
                                
 INTEREST RATES: The Czech central bank will likely hold
rates next Wednesday as signs of rising price pressures offset
concerns of protracted economic weakness, a Reuters poll showed
on Friday.
                                
 Story: [ID:nGEE5BA11O]  Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-FRX]
                                
 
                                
 CROWN: The Czech crown <EURCZK=> weakened 1 percent from a
Monday close to 26.11 per euro at 1350 GMT on Tuesday, according
to Reuters dealing system.
                                
 Story: [ID:nPRG003840] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-FRX]
                                
 
                                
 CEE MARKETS: Central European currencies fell on Tuesday,
with the crown leading losses as concerns over Austrian banks
led to euro selling against the dollar.
                                
 Story: [ID:nLDE5BE0GI] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-FRX]
                                
 
                                
 C.BANKERS REMARKS: The Czech central bank will likely hold
rates on Wednesday as signs of rising price pressures offset
concerns of protracted economic weakness, a Reuters poll showed.
                                
 Story: [ID:nLDE5BD1ND]  Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-PLCY]
                                
 
                                
 PPI: Czech industrial producer prices rose by 0.4 percent in
November from October, showing an annual decline of 2.4 percent,
data showed on Tuesday.
                                
 Story: [ID:nLDE5BE0B6]  Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-MCE]
 ---------------------- MARKET SNAPSHOT ------------------------
 Index/Crown Currency  Latest    Prev    Pct change   Pct change
                                
                              close   on day       in 2009
 Czech Equities <.PX>   1096,9    1096,9    -0,75      27,81
vs Euro   <EURCZK=>     26,232    26,229    -0,01      1,95
vs Dollar    <CZK=>     18,03     18,048     0,1       5,67
 U.S. Equities <.DJI>   10452   10501,05    -0,47     19,09
 Pvs close or current levels vs prior domestic close at 1600
==========================PRESS DIGEST========================
                                
 RAILWAYS PLACE BOND: State run Czech Railways placed a 2
billion Czech crown ($111.5 million) bond. 
                                
 Hospodrske Noviny, page 21
                                
 
                                
 BANKS: There is speculation that Germany's LBBW [LBBW.UL]
and Austria's Volksbank may sell their Czech operations as part
of restructuring ordered by the European Commission or national
regulators as a condition for providing state aid.
                                
 E15, page 1
                                
 
                                
 CEZ: Supreme Administrative Court ordered power group CEZ
<CEZPsp.PR>, majority owned by the state, to provide information
about itself as part of the freedom-of-information law. CEZ
wants to file a constitutional complaint against the ruling.
                                
 Mlada Fronta Dnes, page 1
                                
 
                                
 ECONOMY: A number of companies expecting an improvement in
the economic situation in the Czech Republic rose to 43 percent
from 13 percent in September, a research by Deloitte showed.
                                
 Hospodarske Noviny, page 19
                                
    
                                
 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 +420 224 190 474;
fax: +420 224 229 935
                                
 E-mail: prague.newsroom@reuters.com
 (Compiled by Jana Mlcochova)