Slovakia - Factors To Watch on May 14

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STATE BOND AUCTION

The Debt and Liquidity Management Agency will auction 7-year, 4.9 percent state bonds on behalf of the finance ministry.

MARCH TRADE GAP WIDENS, MARKET STILL UPBEAT

Slovakia's March foreign trade deficit was much wider than market forecasts, data showed on Friday, but analysts expect the gap to narrow during this year as new car factories step up production.

[ID:nL11266722] [RTRS-TRD-ECI-MCE--SK]

APRIL CPI TOUCH ABOVE FORECASTS

Slovak consumer prices rose by 0.2 percent month-on-month in April, putting the annual inflation rate at 2.7 percent, the Slovak Statistics Office said on Friday.

[ID:nL11316435] [RTRS-MCE-ECI-SK]

CROWN HITS 2-WK LOW ON REGION, EYES GDP DATA

The Slovak crown fell to a two-week low of 33.720 per euro on Friday on weak regional sentiment, and dealers said the unit would follow other emerging markets in the coming days.

[ID:nL11165108] [RTRS-MMT-FRX-SK]

SLOVNAFT NET PROFIT UP 11 PCT IN Q1, REVENUES FALL

Slovakia's sole oil refiner Slovnaft said on Friday its first-quarter net profit rose 11 percent, boosted by one-off items, even as revenues plunged due to lower prices and a stronger crown currency.

[ID:nL11314885] [RTRS-CRU-OIL-CHE-SK]

C.BANK FOREX RESERVES RISE TO $17.79 BLN

The Slovak central bank's (NBS) foreign currency reserves edged up to $17.787 billion as of May 9 from $17.760 billion a week ago, the bank said on Friday.

[ID:nL1142611] [RTRS-CEN-FRX-SK]

PRESS DIGEST

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MATADOR&DONGWON TO INVEST IN TRINEC

Slovak-Korean joint venture Matador-DongWon will invest 600 million crowns ($24.03 million) in Czech Republic to build a car parts plant.

Sme, page 5

PES PRESSURES SMER

The Party of European Socialists (PES) is pushing Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico to replace the far-right Slovak National Party in his ruling coalition with the SDKU faction of former leader Mikulas Dzurinda, Fico's third ruling partner, Vladimir Meciar, said.

Pravda, page 4

POPULAR FICO

Prime Minister Robert Fico is enjoying high popularity thanks to his social agenda and understanding of problems of common Slovaks, an opinion poll by the private polling agency MVK showed.

Sme, page 21

For news on upcoming events in the United States and other Group of Seven countries, see . For a diary of forthcoming Slovak events, double click [SK/DIARY], and a calendar of east European economic indicators, see [CONV/DIARY].

News editor of the day: Peter Laca, on +421 2 5341 8402; fax: +421 2 5341 8403

E-mail: editorial@reuters.sk

Reuters Messaging: peter.laca.reuters.com@reuters.net

For real-time index quotes, double click in brackets:

Warsaw WIG20 Budapest BUX Prague PX50 Other related news: Slovak equities [SK-E] E.Europe equities [.CEE] Slovak money [SK-M] Czech debt [CZ-D] Slovak Indicators [SK-ECI] Emerging forex [EMRG/FRX] Eastern European [EEU] All emerging markets [EMRG] Hot stocks [HOT] Stock markets [STX] Market debt news [DBT] Forex news [FRX] TOP NEWS -- Emerging markets [TOP/EMRG] TOP NEWS -- Convergence watch [TOP/EAST]

($1=24.79 Slovak Crown) ($1=24.97 Slovak Crown)

[BRATISLAVA/Reuters/Finance.cz]