Slovakia - Factors To Watch on Nov 2

    BRATISLAVA, Nov 2 (Reuters) - Here are news stories, press 
reports and events to watch which may affect Slovak financial 
markets on Thursday. 
     
    JANUARY-OCTOBER CENTRAL STATE BUDGET DATA 
    The finance ministry will release central state budget data 
for the January-October period. The data are usually released on 
the first day of the month, but Nov. 1 was a national holiday in 
Slovakia. 
    [RTRS-SK-LEN-ECI-MCE] 
     
    C.BANK KEEPS RATES ON HOLD, SURPRISES MKT 
    The Slovak central bank (NBS) held key interest rates 
unchanged at a monthly policy meeting on Tuesday, pausing in a 
monetary tightening drive aimed at ensuring the country can 
adopt the euro in 2009. 
    [ID:nL31331803] [RTRS-MMT-CEN-PLCY-SK] 
     
    AUTOS DRIVE UPBEAT SENTIMENT ON SLOVAK CROWN 
    Auto exports will help curb the surging Slovak current 
account deficit and attract investors to the crown currency, 
pushing it to new record highs against the euro despite risks of 
a swing in emerging market sentiment. 
    [ID:nL31234006] [RTRS-MMT-FRX-AUT-SK] 
     
    GAS FIRM SEES PRICE CUT, INFLATION TO EASE 
    Slovakia's dominant natural gas distributor has proposed 
cutting its prices to households in 2007, Prime Minister Robert 
Fico said on Tuesday, a move that could make it easier for 
Slovakia to prepare for euro adoption. 
    [ID:nL31931119] [RTRS-NGS-ELG-ECI-SK] 
     
    CBANK REPO DRAINS SKK 110.4 BLN FROM MKT 
    The Slovak central bank (NBS) accepted all bids at its 
regular two-week repo tender on Tuesday, draining 110.412 
billion Slovak crowns ($3.86 billion) from the money market, NBS 
data showed. 
    [ID:nL31192568] [RTRS-CEN-FRX-SK] 
     
    JAN-AUG C/A GAP WIDENS Y/Y TO SKK 89.7 BLN 
    Slovakia's current account showed a preliminary deficit of 
89.7 billion crowns ($3.13 billion) in the first eight months of 
this year, compared with a 61.3 billion gap a year ago, the 
central bank said on Tuesday. 
    [ID:nL31279761] [RTRS-TRD-ECI-MCE-SK] 
     
    END-JULY FOREIGN DEBT FALLS TO $28.3 BLN 
    Slovakia's gross foreign debt rose to $28.270 billion at the 
end of July, from $31.501 billion at the end of June, the 
central bank said on Tuesday. 
    [ID:nL31426994] [RTRS-GVD-DBT-SK-LEN] 
     
    GOVT EYES CHANGES TO PENSION SAVINGS-PAPER 
    The Slovak government is considering cutting the amount 
people can save for personal pensions because of rising deficits 
in the national pension system, Prime Minister Robert Fico was 
quoted on Tuesday as saying. 
    [ID:nL31289073] [RTRS-GVD-POL-JOB-SK] 
     
    PRESS DIGEST 
    ------------ 
    ECONMIN EYES $562 MLN SAMSUNG INVESTMENT 
    The Economy Minister Lubomir Jahnatek held talks with 
Samsung Electronics <005930.KS>, world's biggest maker of large 
liquid crystal display (LCD) panels in 2006, on a 16 billion 
crown ($562.4 million) plant in Slovakia, the daily Sme reports. 
    Sme, page 6 
     
    AGRICULTURE DEPUTY MINISTER RESIGNS FROM POST 
    The Agriculture Deputy Minister Marian Zahumensky resigned 
from his post on Tuesday. Zahumensky came under fire after it 
was revealed that subsidies totalling 4.4 million crowns were 
given to a firm close to his relatives. Zahumensky said he was 
resigning due personal reasons. 
    Pravda, page 1 
     
    For an economic indicator diary for the euro zone, the ed 
States and other Group of Seven countries, see <G7TODAY>. For a 
diary of forthcoming Slovak events, double click [SK/DIARY], and 
for a calendar of east European economic indicators, see 
[CONV/DIARY]. 
     
    News editor of the day: Martin Dokoupil on +421 2 5341 8402; 
fax: +421 2 5341 8403 
    E-mail: reuters@editorial.sk 
    Reuters Messaging: martin.dokoupil.reuters.com@reuters.net 
     
 For real-time index quotes, double click in brackets: 
 Warsaw WIG20 <.WIG20>  Budapest BUX <.BUX>  Prague PX50 <.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] 
 ((Bratislava Newsroom; Email: editorial@reuters.sk; 
+421-905-602-847)) 
 ($1=28.45 Slovak Crown)