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MONEY SUPPLY
March money supply figures will be released at 0800 GMT.
[RTRS-LEN-CZ-ECI]
CEZ PICKS PATRIA, WOOD FOR BUYBACK
Power firm CEZ has selected brokers Wood & Company and Patria Finance to rconduct an up to 10 percent share buyback.
[ID:nL30260423] [RTRS-LEN-CZ-ELG]
ING CUTS ORCO
ING cut its recommendation on shares in Czech real estate firm Orco Property Group to 'hold' from 'buy', but at the same time raised its target price to 129 euros from 115 euros.
[ID:nL06341888] [RTRS-LEN-CZ-RCH]
FINMIN FORECAST
The Czech finance ministry raised its forecast for this year's economic growth and said official interest rates were expected to rise slightly from the second half of the year as inflation creeps higher.
Gross domestic product (GDP) growth is now predicted to be 5.3 percent against a previous forecast of 5.0 percent, the ministry said in a quarterly update of its economic outlook.
[ID:nL27653024] [RTRS-LEN-CZ-MCE-ECI]
ENI BUYS CZECH PUMPS
Italy's Eni is acquiring 102 petrol stations from a unit of U.S. oil major ExxonMobil in the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary.
[ID:nL27684365] [RTRS-LEN-CZ-IT]
ZENTIVA PROPOSES DIVIDEND
The board of directors of Czech drug maker Zentiva has proposed a gross dividend of 11.50 crowns ($0.557) on 2006 profits, after paying 9.50 crowns last year.
[ID:nL27611464] [RTRS-LEN-CZ-DRU]
CENTRAL BANK LEAVES RATES FLAT BUT SIGNALS HIKE
The Czech central bank (CNB) kept interest rates on hold for a seventh consecutive month on Thursday, but gave markets the strongest signal to date it was ready to tighten policy soon to keep inflation at bay.
Four out of six policymakers attending the monthly meeting voted to hold the main two-week repo rate at 2.50 percent , the lowest level in the European Union and now a record 125 basis points below the euro zone equivalent [CNB/INT].
RELATED STORIES.......[ID:nL26624395] [RTRS-LEN-CZ-CEN-PLCY]
HIGHLIGHTS FORM C.BANK NEWS CONFERENCE.......[ID:nL26319843]
NEW CENTRAL BANK ECONOMIC FORECASTS..........[ID:nPRA001271]
REUTERS POLL ON INTEREST RATE FORECASTS......[ID:nL19109899]
C.BANKERS' RECENT REMARKS ON POLICY..........[ID:nL19132137]
FACTBOX ON C.EUROPE C.BANK MEETINGS..........[ID:nL23260415]
For overview of economic data and forecasts click on For Instant Views of key economic data click on [CZ/INSTANT] For summary of economic data and forecasts 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
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