Slovakia - Factors To Watch on Feb 11

                                
 BRATISLAVA, Feb 11 (Reuters) - Here are news stories, press
reports and events to watch which may affect Slovak financial
markets on Monday.
                                
 
                                
 JANUARY HEADLINE INFLATION
                                
 The Statistics Office will release January headline
inflation data, 0800 GMT. Analysts forecast consumer prices to
have risen by 0.9 percent on the month, for an annual inflation
rate of 3.4 percent.
                                
 
                                
 JANUARY CORE INFLATION
                                
 The Statistics Office will release January core inflation
data, 0800 GMT. Core inflation was forecast at 0.8 percent
month-on-month, and at 3.7 percent year-on-year.
                                
 
                                
 DECEMBER FOREIGN TRADE
                                
 The Statistics Office will release foreign trade data for
December and the whole of 2007, 0800 GMT. The market had
expected a trade deficit of 6.6 billion crowns for December.
                                
 
                                
 STATE BOND AUCTION
                                
 The finance ministry's Debt and Liquidity Management Agency
will auction 4-year, zero-coupon state bond.
                                
 
                                
 CARS, MACHINERY SLOW DOWN SLOVAK INDUSTRIAL GROWTH
                                
 Slovak industrial output growth slowed in December as key
car and machinery sectors produced less than expected, data
showed on Friday, but analysts said the rate would pick up again
in coming months.
                                
 [ID:nL08291093] [RTRS-MCE-ECI-TRD-SK]
                                
 
                                
 SLOVAK CHEMKO MULLS $540 MLN POWER PLANT -AGENCY
                                
 Slovak chemicals group Chemko Strazske <CEKO.BV> is
considering building a 350 megawatt thermal power plant
involving investment of 12.5 billion crowns ($540.4 million),
news agency SITA reported on Friday.
                                
 [ID:nL0882662] [RTRS-UTIL-ELG-CHE-SK]
                                
 
                                
 C.BANK FOREX RESERVES DIP TO $19.17 BLN
                                
 The Slovak central bank's (NBS) foreign currency reserves
edged down to $19.167 billion as of Feb. 6 from $19.224 billion
on Jan. 30, the bank said on Friday.
                                
 [ID:nL08789367] [RTRS-MMT-FRX-CEN-SK]
                                
 
                                
 DEC INDUSTRIAL OUTPUT BELOW FCAST
                                
 Slovak industrial output rose by a real 6.4 percent
year-on-year in December, slowing down from an annual increase
of 13.2 percent in November, the Slovak Statistics Office said
on Friday.
                                
 [ID:nL08415908] [RTRS-MCE-ECI-SK]
                                
 
                                
 DEC CONSTRUCTION OUTPUT -1.2 PCT Y/Y
                                
 Slovak construction output fell by a real 1.2 percent
year-on-year in December after a 1.7 percent annual decline in
November, the Statistics Office said on Friday.
                                
 [ID:nL08199237] [RTRS-MCE-ECI-SK]
                                
 
                                
 DEC RETAIL SALES +5.1 PCT Y/Y
                                
 Slovak retail sales rose by a real 5.1 percent year-on-year
in December compared with a 2.0 percent annual increase in
November, the Slovak Statistics Office said on Friday.
                                
 [ID:nL08234914] [RTRS-MCE-ECI-RET-SK]
                                
 
                                
 DEC REAL AVERAGE IND WAGE -0.6 PCT Y/Y
                                
 The real average industrial wage in Slovakia fell 0.6
percent year-on-year in December, compared with a 1.6 percent
rise in November, the Slovak Statistics Office said on Friday.
                                
 [ID:nL0814025] [RTRS-MCE-ECI-SK]
                                
 
                                
 PRESS DIGEST
                                
 ------------
                                
 MEDIA BILL CHANGES
                                
 Vladimir Meciar, the leader of a junior government party
HZDS, and Deputy parliamentary Chairman Miroslav Ciz of Prime
Minister Robert Fico's Smer party, said they would consider
making changes to the criticised media draft law.
                                
 Sme, page 2
                                
 
                                
 SPP CONTROL
                                
 Economy Minister Lubomir Jahnatek said the government was
negotiating with Gaz de France <GAZ.PA> and E.ON Ruhrgas
<EONG.DE> to boost state influence in the gas monopoly Slovensky
Plynarensky Priemysel. The two investors hold a 49 percent stake
in SPP, but they have the management control.
                                
 Sme, page 7
                                
 
                                
 COAL POWER PLANT
                                
 A real estate developer, Czechoslovak Energy Company, is
expected to pick investor for its 855 megawatt coal-powered
power plant in the eastern Slovak town of Trebisov by the end of
February. The project is expected to be worth some 40 billion
crown ($1.74 billion).
                                
 Hospodarske Noviny, page 1
                                
 
                                
 For news on upcoming events in the United States and other
Group  of Seven countries, see <G7TODAY>. 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: peter.laca.reuters.com@reuters.net
                                
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