Czech Republic - Factors To Watch on July 10

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

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

FOREX RESERVES: June forex reserves due out at 0800. No consensus forecast is available.

Real-time economic data releases....................

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MAY TRADE DATA: The foreign trade balance posted a bigger than expected 6.92 billion crown ($328.4 million) surplus in May, following a 2.23 billion surplus in May 2006.

Instant View: [nL09337680]

Table: [nPRA001384]

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

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

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

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PEGAS STAKE SALE: ING is placing up to 3.09 million shares in artificial textile maker Pegas Nonwovens on behalf of private equity fund Pamplona.

Story: [nL10557565]

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

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

CENTRAL BANK MINUTES: The central bank (CNB) releases minutes from its June 28 governing board meeting at 0700.

Policymakers left interest rates unchanged at 2.75 percent at that meeting, following a quarter of a percentage point hike in May.

Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-INT]

CEZ POWER STATION: Power firm CEZ holds a news conference on a power station at 0800.

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

ENERGY TRADING: The Prague Energy Exchange (PXE) to organise a seminar on its trading scheme at 0800.

The PXE has fixed the starting price of 2008 baseload power in its composite 2008-2009 future contract at 50.42 euros ($68.70), up 14.2 percent over last year's wholesale auction price.

Story: [nL09588742]

The European Commission will examine whether the PXE has not breached Europen Union rules by pegging the baseload power price at a certain level, writes the daily Hospodarske Noviny. It reports that the EU's executive commission wants to prevent any regulation of the electricity market.

CAR SALES: New passenger and light utility vehicle sales rose 9.76 percent year-on-year in the first half of 2007 to 95,602 units.

Story: [nL09873569]

PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE?

Former Foreign Minister and dissident Jiri Dienstbier said he is ready to run for president, writes the daily Mlada fronta Dnes. He has yet to receive official support from a political party but an informal team of members of parliament is said to be already lobbying for his candidacy, the paper reports. Dienstbier told the paper that he wanted to prevent the re-election of Vaclav Klaus.

Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-POL]

(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]

For an economic indicator diary for the euro zone, the United States and other Group of Seven countries see

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Keywords: CZECH FACTORS/