Czech Republic - Factors To Watch on July 9

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ALL TIMES GMT (Czech Republic: GMT + 2 hours)

======================== ECONOMIC DATA ========================

MAY TRADE DATA: May foreign trade data are due for release at 0700. Analysts polled by Reuters expect a 4.8 billion crown surplus, following a 3.0 billion surplus a month earlier.

SECOND-QUARTER GOVT DEBT: The Finance Ministry is expected to publish data on Q2 government debt duration around 1200.

Previous stories on Czech data............[CZ-RTRS-LEN-ECI]

Overview of economic data and forecasts.........

Updates on Czech currency............................[CZK/]

========================== TOP STORY ==========================

ENERGY PRICES

The Prague Energy Exchange has pegged the fixed part of the composite futures contract for the delivery of electricity in 2008-2009 at 50.42 euros per megawatt hour, writes the daily Mlada fronta Dnes. The fixed price is 14.2 percent higher than last year's wholesale price of EUR 44.15 reached in an auction conducted by power utility CEZ . Analysts estimate that household electricity prices could increase by up to 10 percent for 2008, the daily reports.

Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-CEZPsp.PR]

==================== ELSEWHERE IN THE NEWS ====================

SKODA EYES 1 MLN CAR OUTPUT

Volkswagen's Czech-based Skoda division plans to build 1 million cars a year by 2012, the subsidiary's chief executive, Detlef Wittig, said in an interview with trade magazine Automotive News Europe.

[nL07687635] [RTRS-LEN-CZ-VOWG.DE]

(Reuters has not verified any of the newspaper reports that may be quoted above and does not vouch for their accuracy.)

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]

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Keywords: CZECH FACTORS/