Czech Republic - Factors To Watch on March 28

                                
 PRAGUE, March 28 (Reuters) - Here are news stories, press
reports and events to watch which may affect Czech financial
markets on Friday:
                                
 ALL TIMES GMT (Czech Republic: GMT + 1 hours)

 ======================== 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 - Czech central bank (CNB) holds a working meeting of
governors of central banks of the Czech Republic, Hungary,
Austria, Slovakia and Slovenia. No photo session or briefing is
planned.
                                
 Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-LEN-CEN]
                                
 
                                
 PRAGUE - President Vaclav Klaus, Prime Minister Mirek
Topolanek, Deputy Prime Minister for European Affairs Alexandr
Vondra, Defence Minister Vlasta Parkanova and Deputy Foreign
Minister Tomas Pojar to meet to co-ordinate positions ahead of
the NATO summit in Bucharest (0900 GMT).
                                
 Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-DIP]
                                
 
                                
  PRAGUE - Representatives of the cabinet, employers and
labour unions meet to discuss a new labour law.
                                
 Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-JOB]
                                
 
======================= TOP NEWS ===============================
                                
  PM EYES LOWER DEFICIT:The Czech fiscal deficit may drop to
1.7 percent of gross domestic product next year rather than the
2.6 percent seen in current government plans, news agency CTK
quoted Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek as saying on Thursday
                                
 Story: [L27834103] Related news [RTRS-LEN-CZ-GVD]
                                
 
================== ELSEWHERE IN NEWS ===========================
                                
 PM PROFIT JUMPS: Net profit at Czech cigarette maker Philip
Morris CR <TABKsp.PR> soared by 47 percent in full-year 2007 to
2.42 billion crowns ($149.9 million), far above forecasts.
                                
 Story: [ID:nL27411105] Related news [RTRS-LEN-RES-BEV]
                                
 
                                
 NEW BUSINESS CODE: The Czech Republic will raise some of the
thresholds at which majority owners of listed companies must
offer to buy out minority shareholders, which may motivate share
buybacks at some firms, analysts said.
                                
 Story: [ID:nL2732938] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-FRX]
 
                                
 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 +420 224 190 477;
fax: +420 224 229 935
                                
 E-mail: prague.newsroom@reuters.com
 (Compiled by Martin Dokoupil)