Slovakia - Factors To Watch on Oct 11

    BRATISLAVA, Oct 11 (Reuters) - Here are news stories, press 
reports and events to watch which may affect Slovak financial 
markets on Wednesday. 
     
    SEPT INFLATION DATA 
    The Statistics Office will release September headline and 
core inflation data. The market expects consumer prices to be 
flat on the month, putting the annual inflation rate at 4.9 
percent. (0700 GMT) 
     
    GOVT TO DEBATE 2007 BUDGET DRAFT 
    Regular government meeting. Ministers are expected to debate 
the final draft of the 2007 state budget. 
     
    DRAFT 2007 BUDGET KEEPS SLOVAKS ON EURO PATH 
    Slovakia's proposed 2007 state budget draft, to be approved 
by the government this week, keeps the country on track to adopt 
the euro in 2009 despite increased social spending. 
    [ID:nL10188432] [RTRS-GVD-DBT] 
     
    EU NEWCOMERS FIRM ON SCHENGEN, ETHNIC ISSUES WEIGH 
    Leaders of the four biggest European Union newcomres 
emphasised on Tuesday their desire to join the bloc's 
border-free zone next year, despite signals from the European 
Commission of a possible delay. 
    [ID:nL10255443] [RTRS-EU-EMRG-POL] 
     
    AUG RETAIL SALES +8.0 PCT YR/YR 
    Slovak retail sales rose by a real 8.0 percent year-on-year 
in August, slowing from an 8.5 percent annual increase in July, 
data from the Slovak Statistics Office released on Tuesday 
showed. 
    [ID:nPRG000095] [RTRS-MCE-ECI] 
     
    AUG REAL AVERAGE IND WAGE +1.3 PCT Y/Y 
    The real average industrial wage in Slovakia rose by 1.3 
percent year-on-year in August, compared with a 3.1 percent 
annual rise in July, the Statistics Office said on Tuesday. 
    [ID:nL10871466] [RTRS-MCE-ECI] 
     
    CROWN CLIMBS TO NEW 7-MONTH PEAK VS EURO 
    The Slovak crown firmed on Tuesday, briefly touching a new 
seven-month high of 36.950 against the euro, helped by 
strengthening in other central European markets, dealers said. 
    [ID:nL10699925] [RTRS-MMT-FRX] 
     
    CBANK REPO DRAINS SKK 148.7 BLN FROM MKT 
    The Slovak central bank (NBS) accepted all bids in its 
regular two-week repo tender on Tuesday, draining 148.660 
billion crowns ($5.04 billion) from the money market, NBS data 
showed. 
    [ID:nL10184003] [RTRS-CEN-MMT-INT] 
     
    PRESS DIGEST 
    ------------ 
    FINMIN SAYS CONTENT WITH BUDGET DRAFT 
    Finance Minister Jan Pociatek said he was satisfied with the 
final draft of the 2007 state budget, which is expected to be 
debated by the cabinet on Wednesday, daily Sme reported. 
    Sme, page 7 
     
    SLOVAK, HUNGARIAN PM CALL OFF MEETING 
    Hungary's Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany and his Slovak 
counterpart Robert Fico called off a planned bilateral meeting 
on Tuesday amid differences over allegations of violence against 
ethnic Hungarians, which Budapest blames on the presence of the 
far-right nationalists in Fico's cabinet. 
    Sme, page 1 
     
    EU OPPOSES ENERGY REGULATION PLANS 
    The European Commission has criticised a plan by the Slovak 
Economy Ministry to amend the law on the state regulator to 
strengthen the government's role in setting energy prices for 
companies, daily Pravda reports. 
    Pravda, page 10 
     
    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: Peter Laca on +421 2 5341 8402; fax: 
+421 2 5341 8403 
    E-mail: reuters@editorial.sk 
    Reuters Messaging: martin.santa.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))