Czech Republic - Factors To Watch on March 19

                                
 PRAGUE, March 19 (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 ========================
                                
 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 ===============================
                                
 PARLIAMENT MEETS: The lower house continues session, which
includes first reading of the Euroepan Lisbon treaty. The
session runs until Friday.
                                
 
========================= TOP NEWS =============================
                                
 C.BANK, FINMIN TALK ON CROWN STRENGTH: The Czech central
bank is in talks with the country's Finance Ministry on fighting
the impact of the crown currency's strength.
                                
 Story: [ID:nL18614161] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-FRX]
====================== ELSEWHERE IN NEWS =======================
                                
 NO RATE CHANGE: The strong crown currency will most likely
discourage the Czech central bank (CNB) from raising interest
rates later this month despite an inflation spike, a Reuters
poll showed.
                                
 Story: [ID:nL18359298] Related news; [RTRS-LEN-CZ-PLCY]
                                

                                
RETIAL SALES SLOW: Czech retail sales grew a slower than
expected 4.1 percent year-on-year in January, after December's
5.4 percent rise.
                                
Story: [ID:nL18580020] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-ECI]
 ---------------------- MARKET SNAPSHOT ------------------------
 Index/Crown Currency  Latest    Prev    Pct change   Pct change
                                
                              close   on day       in 2008
 Czech Equities  <.PX> 1,504.4  1,468.5   +2.44        -17.12
 vs Euro     <EURCZK=>  25.450   25.400   -0.20         +4.13
 vs Dollar      <CZK=>  16.174   16.089   -0.51        +12.36
 U.S. Equities  <.DJI>  12,393   11,972   +3.51         -6.57
 Pvs close or current levels vs prior domestic close at 1500

====================== PRESS DIGEST ============================
                                
BUSINESS CONFIDENCE DIPS BUT STILL STRONG: A fifth of German
companies believe that the Czech economic situation will worsen
this year, up from four percent a year ago. However, almost one
quarter still see an improvement and more than a half see no
change, according to a survey by the Czech-German chamber of
commerce. The Czech Republic tops a list of 20 countries in
terms of their attractiveness for investment.
                                
 Hospodarske Noviny, page 16.
                                
 
                                
 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 Jan Lopatka)