Czech Republic - Factors To Watch on Feb 6

                                
 PRAGUE, Feb 6 (Reuters) - Here are news stories, press
reports and events to watch which may affect Czech financial
markets on Wednesday:
                                
 ALL TIMES GMT (Czech Republic: GMT + 1 hours)

 ======================== ECONOMIC DATA ========================
                                
 No data due out until January foreign exchange reserves at
0900 on Thursday. January consumer prices and unemployment
figures are due out at 0800 GMT on Friday.
                                
 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 ============================
                                
 BOND AUCTION: The government will offer 15-year bonds in a
two-round auction. Bids are due in by 1100 GMT.
                                
 Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-ISU-GVD]
                                
 
                                
 U.S. VISAS: Assistant Secretary for the Office of Policy
Development of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Richard
C. Barth meets Czech officials to discuss scrapping U.S. visa
requirement.
                                
 Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-US]

========================= TOP NEWS =============================
                                
 TRADE BALANCE STRONG, CROWN AT RECORD: Czech foreign trade
closed 2007 with a record-high surplus, propelling the crown
currency to fresh all-time highs but analysts warned over the
impact of an economic slowdown in Europe on this year's exports.
                                
 Story: [ID:nL05313927] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-ECI]
========================= ELSEWHERE IN NEWS ====================
                                
 CME RAISES STAKE IN UKRAINE TV: Television group Central
European Media Enterprises (CME) <CETV.O> <CETVsp.PR> said on
Tuesday it had agreed to buy out minority shareholders in its
Ukraine Studio 1+1 to gain a 90 percent stake in the station and
a right to buy the rest.
                                
 Story: [ID:nL05584809] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-TBCS]
                                
 
                                
 PSE SEEKS MORE DUAL LISTINGS: The Prague Stock Exchange has
been negotiating with several foreign companies with large
businesses in the Czech Republic on listing their stock in
Prague, the bourse's chief said on Tuesday.
                                
 Story: [ID:nL05606480] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-STX]
                                
 
 ---------------------- MARKET SNAPSHOT ------------------------
 Index/Crown Currency  Latest    Prev    Pct change   Pct change
                                
                              close   on day       in 2008
 Czech Equities  <.PX> 1,544.1  1,567.0   -1.46        -14.93
 vs Euro     <EURCZK=>  25.790   25.748   -0.16         +2.75
 vs Dollar      <CZK=>  17.592   17.564   -0.16         +3.28
 U.S. Equities  <.DJI>  12,265   12,635   -2.93         -7.54
 Pvs close or current levels vs prior domestic close at 1500    
======================= PRESS DIGEST ==========================
  FOOD PRICES SEEN RISING FURTHER: Czech food prices will rise
by about 4 percent annually in the next three years, but
pessimistic scenarios see up to 10 percent growth, research by
Incoma and Blue Strategy showed.
                                
 Hospodarske noviny
                                
 (Reuters has not verified any of the newspaper reports that
may be quoted above and does not 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
                                
 Reuters Messaging: jan.lopatka.reuters.com@reuters.net

 (Reporting by Jan Lopatka)