Slovakia - Factors To Watch on Feb 7

    Here are news stories, press 
repors and events to watch which may affect Slovak financial 
markets on Wednesday. 
     
    GOVERNMENT MEETING 
    The government will hold its regular weekly meeting, 10 a.m. 
(0900 GMT). 
     
    PARLIAMENT SESSION 
    The Slovak Parliament will continue its regular monthly 
session 9 a.m. (0800 GMT) 
     
    CBANK REJECTS REPO BIDS TO CAP CROWN RISE 
    The Slovak central bank (NBS) rejected some of the bids made 
at its regular two-week repo tender on Tuesday, resuming its 
efforts to cap the rise of the crown currency, NBS data showed. 
    [ID:nL06289305] [RTRS-CEN-MMT-FRX-SK] 
     
    CROWN UP, MORE GAINS SEEN ON BULLISH REGION 
    The Slovak crown gained 0.5 percent versus the euro on 
Tuesday as bullish sentiment on emerging markets prevailed over 
a central bank move to cap the unit's rise through the repo 
tender, dealers said. 
    [ID:nL06817509] [RTRS-MMT-FRX-SK] 
     
    PRESS DIGEST 
    ------------ 
    EURO ENTRY CONFIDENCE UP 
    Some 72 percent of Slovakia's analysts expected in January 
the country to adopt the euro in 2009 as planned, a poll showed, 
up from 52 percent in a similar survey in September. 
    Sme, page 7 
     
    SE AUDIT 
    Deloitte&Touche is expected to finish by May an audit of the 
dominant power producer Slovenske Elektrarne, which will 
determine the final price for the 66 percent of SE bought last 
year by Italy's utility Enel. A similar audit had in the past 
increased the final privatisation price of 49 percent in the gas 
monopoly SPP. 
    Prava, page 1 
     
    GABCIKOVO DEAL INVALID 
    The contract under which Slovenske Elektrarne, owned by 
Enel, uses Slovakia's largest hydro power plant Gabcikovo is 
invalid, an analysis by the Environment Ministry showed. Prime 
Minister Robert Fico has long wanted to cancel the deal, saying 
it was unfavourable for Slovakia. 
    Hospodarke Noviny, page 4 
     
    FASTEST WAGE GROWTH IN 2007 
    Slovakia is expected to show the fastest real wage growth of 
3.5 percent in the European Union, a forecast by the Hong-Kong 
based ECA International showed. 
    Hospodarske Noviny, page 1 
     
    RTR PRIVASTFTUNG ENTERS SKY EUROPE 
    Austrian foundation RTR Privatstigtung has bought 2.6 
million shares of Slovak-based low-cost airlines Sky Europe for 
430 million crown ($15.97 million), becoming one of Sky Europe's 
biggest shareholders. 
    Hospodarske Noviny, page 13 
     
    NEW STATS OFFICE HEAD 
    The government is expected to name Ludmila Benkovicova to 
the post of Statistics Office Chairman. The new Statistics 
Office head was previously a public relation adviser to Prime 
Minister Robert Fico. 
    Sme, page 1 
     
    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: editorial@reuters.sk 
    Reuters Messaging: martin.dokoupil.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] 
 
 ((Compiled by Martin Santa; Bratislava Newsroom; Email: 
editorial@reuters.sk; +421-2-5341-8402)) 
 ($1=26.92 Slovak Crown) 
  

[BRATISLAVA/Reuters/Finance.cz]