Czech Republic - Factors To Watch on Sept 21

...

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

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

No economic data are due for release until second-quarter foreign debt on Sept. 27.

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

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

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

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

=========================== EVENTS ============================

AAA AUTO SHARE ISSUE - Czech used car dealer AAA Auto could offer another share issue to investors in early 2009 after an initial public offering, valuing the company at up to 156.5 million euros ($219 million), that closes on Friday.

Story: [ID:nL20830102] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-AUT-CZ-IPO]

CEZ TO RAISE PRICES - Czech electricity maker CEZ will raise baseload power prices next year for small and medium-size customers by 14.4 percent, the company said on Thursday.

Story: [ID:nPRA001509] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-ELG-CZ]

CTP TO DECIDE ON FUND FLOAT - Property developer CTP Invest will decide in the coming weeks whether to float a real-estate fund on the Prague and Amsterdam bourses, its chief executive said on Thursday.

Story: [ID:nL20118911] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-IPO-CZ-REA]

CZECHS SLAM FISCAL REFORMS - A majority of Czechs believe the government's fiscal reform package will not help stabilise public finances, with most people upset by a preferential value-added tax hike, an opinion poll showed on Thursday.

Story: [ID:nL20907612] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-POL]

AAA AUTO IPO CLOSES - Czech used car dealer AAA Auto is expected to close on Friday the book building of an intial public offering under which it offers 28.1 percent stake on Prague and Budapest stock exchanges.

Related news: [RTRS-LEN-AUT-CZ-ISU-IPO]

ELECTRICITY PRICES - Electricity prices for households will probably rise by more than 10 percent on average next year, while companies will pay 14.4 percent more.

Mlada fronta Dnes, page 11.

COAL PLANTS LIFE EXTENSION - Czech power firm CEZ plans to extend life of its old coal-fired power plants beyond 2020. The plants were originally due to shut down between 2010 and 2015.

Hospodarske Noviny, page 16

WAGE RISE DEMANDS - The trade unions plan to seek wage increases of 7-8 percent for next year when the collective bargaining starts to compensate the impact of the government's fiscal reform package.

Hospodarske Noviny, page 2

(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

For real-time stock market index quotes click in brackets: Warsaw WIG20 Budapest BUX Prague PX

News editor of the day: Jan Lopatka on +420 224 190 477; fax: +420 224 229 935

E-mail: prague.newsroom@reuters.com

Reuters Messaging: jan.lopatka.reuters.com@reuters.net

Keywords: CZECH FACTORS/