Czech Republic - Factors To Watch on Feb 4

                                
 PRAGUE, Feb 4 (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 - An information briefing on the EU-Ukraine Troika.
An information on the issues to be discussed at the EU-Ukraine
meeting the following day on the schedule. News briefing at 0930
GMT. Bureau covering. Bureau covering.
                                
  Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-DIP]

                                
 PRAGUE - The lower house of parliament to continue a
session, may debate Lisbon treaty, U.S. radar treaties, and
extending mandate for Czech military force in foreign missions.
Merit coverage.
                                
 Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-DIP]
                                
 
                                
 PRAGUE - Deadline for European Commission's review of plans
by French drugmaker Sanofi-Aventis <SASY.PA> to buy Czech
pharmaceutical company Zentiva <ZNTVsp.PR>. 
                                
 Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-MRG]
============================NEWS================================
                                
 ZENTIVA: Czech unpatented drugs maker Zentiva <ZNTVsp.PR>
said on Wednesday one of its investors, PPF, has asked courts to
allow it to call a shareholders' meeting in a bid to replace the
company's management. 
                                
 Story: [ID:nL4616448] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-MRG]

                                
 UNIPETROL: The 2008 fourth quarter operating profit (EBIT)
at Czech oil refiner Unipetrol <UNPEsp.PR> will likely be
negative, the company said in a statement released late on
Tuesday.
                                
 Story: [ID:nnL4593628] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-MRG]
                                
 
                                
 C.BANKERS' REMARKS: The Czech central bank (CNB) is expected
to cut interest rates by half a percentage point on Thursday to
counter declining growth as the export-driven central European
economy buckles under faltering demand.
                                
 Story: [ID:nL3219753] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-CEN]
                                
 
                                
 FX REVERSE GAINS: Investors pushed the Polish zloty and
Hungarian forint weaker through psychological levels against the
euro on Tuesday, triggering falls across central Europe already
suffering under a darkening economic outlook.
                                
 Story: [ID:nL3641607] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-FRX]
 ---------------------- MARKET SNAPSHOT ------------------------
 Index/Crown Currency  Latest    Prev    Pct change   Pct change
                                
                              close   on day       in 2009
 Czech Equities  <.PX>   752.6    752.6   +0.00          n/a 
 vs Euro     <EURCZK=>  28.520   27.750   -2.94         -6.30
 vs Dollar      <CZK=>  21.958   21.414   -2.48        -12.97
 U.S. Equities  <.DJI>   8,078    7,937   +1.78         -7.95
 Pvs close or current levels vs prior domestic close at 1600
GMT
=========================PRESS DIGEST==========================
                                
 VAT: Finance Minister Miroslav Kalousek and a team of the
government economic advisers have agreed it was needed to lower
the VAT on restaurant services to 9 percent from 19 percent as a
way of relieving the impact from an economic crisis.
                                
 Hospodarske Noviny, page 1
                                
 
                                
 INVESTMENTS: Czech investors withdrew 29.4 billion Czech
crowns ($1.35 billion) from stock and money market funds last
year while they withdrew another 3.65 billion in January, the
daily reports citing statistics of Czech Capital Market
Association.
                                
 Mlada Fronta Dnes, page B4

                                
   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)