Czech Republic - Factors To Watch on Jan 7

                                
 PRAGUE, Jan 7 (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 Czech currency.............................[CZK/]
============================EVENTS==============================
                                
 PRAGUE - Czech President Vaclav Klaus to meet Russian
Ambassador in the Czech Republic Alexei Fedotov to discuss the
reduction in gas supplies from Russia to the Czech Republic
(0900 GMT).
                                
 Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-DIP]
                                
 
                                
 PRAGUE - Meeting of the Government with the European
Commission. News conference at 1415 GMT.
                                
 Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-DIP]
                                
 
                                
 PRAGUE - Czech President Vaclav Klaus to meet European
Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso. News conference at
1800 GMT. 
                                
 Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-DIP]
                                
 
========================= TOP NEWS =============================
                                
 RUSSIAN GAS FLOW HALTED: Gas supplies through the main
import and transit pipeline from Russia to the Czech Republic
and Western Europe had been halted completely overnight, the
Czech importer RWE Transgas said on Wednesday.
                                
 Story: [ID:nL7278844] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-ELG]
                                
 
                                
 ZENTIVA CALLS EGM: Czech generic drugs maker Zentiva
<ZNTVsp.PR> called an extraordinary general meeting for Feb. 9
to discuss a voluntary takeover bid by Sanofi-Aventis <SASY.PA>,
Zentiva said on Wednesday.
                                
 Story: [ID:nPRG001185] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-MRG]
                                
 
                                
 ENERGY SECURITY EU PRESIDENCY PRIORITY: The Russia-Ukraine
gas row shows the European Union needs a long-term energy
security strategy, the Czech Republic said on Tuesday, making
the issue one of its main tasks in its six-month stint as EU
president.
                                
 Story: [ID:nL6682606] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-DIP]
                                
 
                                
 HYUNDAI LIMITING CZECH PRODUCTION: Hyundai Motor Co
<005380.KS> will limit production at its Czech plant to four
days a week for three months, local daily E15 reported on its
web site on Tuesday, in a move likely to put more stress on the
cooling Czech economy.
                                
 Story: [ID:nL6242342] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-AUT]
                                
 
                                
 GOVT RESHUFFLE CAUSES RIFT: A plan by the Czech prime
minister to reshuffle his cabinet threatened to weaken the
minority government still further on Tuesday, days after the
country took over the European Union presidency.
                                
 Story: [ID:nL6154523] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-POL]
                                
 
                                
 CEE FX FIRM: Central European currencies firmed on Tuesday
and dealers said global risk appetite seemed to have improved in
the first days of the year.
                                
 Story: [ID:nL6446136] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-FRX]
                                
 
---------------------- MARKET SNAPSHOT ------------------------
 Index/Crown Currency  Latest    Prev    Pct change   Pct change
                                
                              close   on day       in 2008
 vs Euro     <EURCZK=>  25.950   25.950   +0.00         +2.12
 vs Dollar      <CZK=>  19.182   19.206   +0.26         -5.15
 U.S. Equities  <.DJI>  09,015   08,953   +0.69        -32.04
 Pvs close or current levels vs prior domestic close at 1500
=========================PRESS DIGEST==========================
                                
 RISE IN RETAIL STOCK CLIENTS: The four main retail stock
brokers in the Czech Republic reported a rise in customers in
2008 to 54,000 from 35,000.
                                
 Hospodarske Noviny, page 15
                                
 
                                
 PRAGUE AIRPORT TO REACH RECORD PROFIT: The Prague Airport
posted record pre-tax profit of 1.7 billion crowns ($88.22
million) in the first 11 months of 2008.
                                
 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 Jason Hovet)