Czech Republic - Factors To Watch on March 17

                                
 PRAGUE, March 17 (Reuters) - Here are news stories, press
reports and events to watch which may affect Czech financial
markets on Tuesday:
                                
 ALL TIMES GMT (Czech Republic: GMT + 1 hour)

======================== ECONOMIC DATA ========================
                                
 Real-time economic data releases....................<ECONCZ>
                                
 Previous stories on Czech data.............[CZ-RTRS-LEN-ECI]
                                
 Overview of economic data and forecasts..........<CZ/ECON15>
                                
 Updates on Czech currency.............................[CZK/]
=========================== EVENTS =============================
                                
 PRAGUE - The lower house of parliament to hold a session.
                                
 Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-POL]
                                
 
============================NEWS================================
                                
 ORCO DELAYS RESULTS RELEASES: Developer Orco Property Group
<ORCOsp.PR> <ORCO.PA> <ORCO.WA> delayed publication of its
annual results until the end of March, saying it could not
complete them by the planned March 17 release date.
                                
 Story: [ID:nLG429857] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-REA]
                                
 
                                
 SHRINKING ECONOMY: The Czech economy could shrink by up to 2
percent this year but it was unclear what the next move for
borrowing costs should be, central bank governing board member
Robert Holman was quoted as saying on Monday.
                                
 Story: [ID:nLG718538] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-MCE]
                                
 
                                
 CEE FX STAY UP: The zloty and the forint edged higher on
Monday, the fifth straight session when European stocks rallied
in a sign of improved risk appetite that was good news for
global emerging markets.
                                
 Story: [ID:nLG324775] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-FRX]
                                
 
                                
 EU SEEKS ONE VOICE: European Commission chief Jose Manuel
Barroso voiced confidence on Monday that Europe would speak with
one voice at a crucial financial summit in April despite
divisions between some of the continent's main players.
                                
 Story: [ID:nLG81686] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-MCE]
                                
 
                                
 BOND AUCTION UPCOMING: The Czech Republic will have to
accept higher yields to sell its first fixed-rated bonds since
October in an auction on Wednesday, dealers say, as it tries to
prod its still largely paralysed bond market back into life. 
                                
 Story: [ID:nLG731467] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-DBT]
                                
 
                                
 CZECH PPI EDGES UP M/M: Czech industrial producer prices
rose 0.3 percent in February from January, and showed an annual
decline of 0.6 percent, from January's 0.8 percent drop.
                                
 Story: [ID:nLG238279] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-ECI]
                                
 
                                
 STATE DEBT UP: The Czech Republic's gross central government
debt rose to 999.8 billion crowns ($48.70 billion) at the end of
December, from 925.5 billion at the end of September, the
Finance Ministry said on Monday.
                                
 Story: [ID:nLG639767] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-GVD]
                                
 
 ---------------------- MARKET SNAPSHOT ------------------------
 Index/Crown Currency  Latest    Prev    Pct change   Pct change
                                
                              close   on day       in 2009
 Czech Equities  <.PX>   692.8    692.8   +0.00          n/a 
 vs Euro     <EURCZK=>  26.570   26.570   +0.00         +0.83
 vs Dollar      <CZK=>  20.453   20.464   +0.24         -6.39
 U.S. Equities  <.DJI>   7,217    7,224   -0.10        -17.77
 Pvs close or current levels vs prior domestic close at 1600 GMT

===========================PRESS DIGEST=========================
                                
 LIMITS STAY IN PLACE: Government agreed not to cancel limits
on social and health insurance payments.
                                
 Hospodarske Noviny, page 1
                                
 
                                
 WOOD BUYS BACK STAKE: The Prague stock exchange's second
largest brokerage Wood & Co bought back a 49.95 percent stake
from Iceland's Straumer, giving it full control again.
                                
 Mlada Fronta Dnes, page B3
                                
 
                                
 CSA LEASING PLANES TO LIBYA: Czech Airlines (CSA) agreed to
lease two aircraft to Libya's Nayzak Air Transport for "hundreds
of millions of crowns".
                                
 E15, page 11
                                
 
                                
 RETURN HOME: 738 people have put in requests for the
government programme to return unemployed foreign workers home,
under which they get a plane ticket and 500 euros.
                                
 Hospodarske Noviny, page 2
                                
 
                                
 Reuters has not verified the media reports, nor does it
vouch for their accuracy.
                                
 
 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: Jan Lopatka on +420 224 190 474;
fax: +420 224 229 935
                                
 E-mail: prague.newsroom@reuters.com
                                
  (Compiled by Jason Hovet)