Czech Republic - Factors To Watch on Oct 19

PRAGUE, Oct 19 (Reuters) - Here are news stories, press reports and events to watch which may affect Czech financial markets on Thursday:

POLITICAL TALKS

President Vaclav Klaus meets Green Party leaders at 10 a.m. (0800 GMT) as part of a series of talks with all five parliamentary parties to help the president decide whom to pick as the next prime minister.

- For most recent news on Czech politics, double click on the following link: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-POL]

NO DATA RELEASES

No economic data are due out on Thursday.

RETAIL SALES

Retail sales grew 6.8 percent year-on-year in August, sustaining a healthy momentum largely above the consensus market forecast and confirming this year's consumer spending revival.

[nL18121013]

- For real-time economic data releases and consensus market forecasts, double click on <ECONCZ>.

INTERVIEW: C.BANKER CAUTIOUS ON RATE HIKES

Benign inflationary pressures in the Czech economy should allow the central bank (CNB) to adopt a cautious approach to a further tightening of monetary policy, CNB policymaker Jan Frait told Reuters in an interview.

Forward money-market rates <CZKFRA> shed as much as 5 basis points after the news, cutting the chances of a possible November rate hike to slightly less than 50 percent, according to Reuters calculations.

[ID:nL1856741] [RTRS-LEN-CZ-CEN-INT]

C.BANK NON-POLICY MEETING

The central bank governing board meets for a regular weekly meeting. It is not scheduled to discuss monetary policy issues.

[RTRS-LEN-CZ-CEN]

POLL: CROWN SEEN FIRMING

The Czech crown is likely to rally more than 2 percent to new all-time highs of 27.70 per euro <EURCZK=> over the next 12 months, extending a long-term trend fed by rising exports, a Reuters poll shows.

[nL1863825] [nL18826170] [CZK/POLL]

Individual forecasts will be accessible through the following page <CZ/ECON07>.

KAPSCH ON TOLL

Austria's Kapsch holds a news conference on highway toll system in the Czech Republic at 11 a.m. (0900 GMT).

A regional court decision has allowed Kapsch to continue building the system, due to start operating in January, after a halt ordered by the court last week.

[nL17614878]

CAR OUTPUT

Passenger car output jumped by almost 50 percent in the first three quarters of the year as a joint Toyota-Peugeot factory and domestic maker Skoda Auto raised production, an industry group said. [nL18933987] [RTRS-LEN-CZ-AUT]

REAL ESTATE PRICES

Czech real estate prices have rise by 6 percent in the past nine months, according to real estate agency AAAbyty.cz, writes the business daily Hospodarske Noviny.

Overview of past economic data and market forecasts <CZ/ECON15> For Instant Views of key economic data click on [CZ/INSTANT] For summary of economic data and forecasts <CZ/ECON01> 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 <G7TODAY>

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

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

E-mail: prague.newsroom@reuters.com

Reuters Messaging: alan.crosby.reuters.com@reuters.net

((Compiled by Marek Petrus; Reuters Messaging: rm://marek.petrus.reuters.com@reuters.net; e-mail: prague.newsroom@reuters.com or marek.petrus@reuters.com; Tel: +420 224 190 477)) ($1=22.59 Czech Crown)