Slovakia - Factors To Watch on Jan 15

    Here are news stories, press 
reports and events to watch which may affect Slovak financial 
markets on Monday. 
     
    RYANAIR NEWS CONFERENCE 
    Ryanair central European marketing chief will present 2006 
results in Slovakia 1100 GMT. 
     
    PM FICO VISITS SLOVENIA, CROATIA 
    Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico starts a two-day visit 
to Slovenia and Croatia. 
     
    DEC CPI BELOW FCAST, RATES SEEN ON HOLD 
    Slovak inflation rose less than expected in December, data 
showed on Friday, and a bright inflation outlook tied with a 
stronger currency are likely to prevent further monetary 
tightening, analysts said. 
    [nL12837176] [RTRS-MCE-ECI-INT-SK] 
     
    NOV RETAIL SALES +7.4 PCT YR/YR 
    Slovak retail sales rose by a real 7.4 percent year-on-year 
in November, slowing from a 7.6 percent increase in October,  
    [nPRG000199] [RTRS-MCE-ECI-RET-SK] 
     
    NOV REAL AVERAGE IND WAGE +0.5 PCT Y/Y 
    The real average industrial wage in Slovakia rose by 0.5 
percent year-on-year in November, compared with a 1.5 percent 
rise in October. 
    [nL12133269] [RTRS-MCE-ECI-SK] 
     
    C.BANK FOREX RESERVES DROP TO $13.9 BLN 
    The Slovak central bank's (NBS) foreign currency reserves 
edged down to 13.943 billion as of Jan. 10, from $14.096 billion 
one week earlier, the bank said on Friday. 
    [nL12620387] [RTRS-FRX-CEN-SK] 
     
    CROWN HITS 3-WK LOW ON RATE CUT FEARS 
    The Slovak crown weakened through a support level of 34.650 
per euro on Friday as some foreign investors bet on interest 
rate cuts after lower-than-expected December inflation. 
    [nL12851659] [RTRS-MMTC-FRX-SK] 
     
    PRESS DIGEST 
    ------------ 
    OPPOSITION, COALITION PARTNER CRITICISE FICO 
    Jan Kovarcik, deputy chairman of government coalition party 
HZDS, and ex-Finance Minister Ivan Miklos criticised Prime 
Minister Robert Fico for attending Cuba's revolution 
anniversary. They said Fico's foreign-policy orientation is a 
disgrace for Slovakia. 
    Pravda, page 2 
     
    VOLKSWAGEN SLOVAKIA'S WAGES UP 7.5 PCT 
    The Slovak unit of Germany automaker Volkswagen will 
increase wages by 7.5 percent in the 2007 and 2008 period, based 
on a collective agreement with unions. 
    Hospodarske Noviny, page 13 
     
    United States and other Group of Seven countries, see 
. For a diary of forthcoming Slovak events, double 
click [SK/DIARY], and 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: bratislava.newsroom@reuters.com 
    Reuters Messaging: peter.laca.reuters.com@reuters.net 
     
 For real-time index quotes, double click in brackets: 
 Warsaw WIG20   Budapest BUX   Prague 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: bratislava.newsroom@reuters.com; 
+421-905-602-847)) 
 ($1=26.41 Slovak Crown) 
  

[BRATISLAVA/Reuters/Finance.cz]