PRAGUE, Feb 19 (Reuters) - Here are news stories, press
reports and events to watch which may affect Czech financial
markets on Thursday:
ALL TIMES GMT (Czech Republic: GMT + 1 hour)
======================== ECONOMIC DATA ========================
Real-time economic data releases....................<ECONCZ>
Previous stories on Czech data.............[]
Overview of economic data and forecasts..........<CZ/ECON15>
Updates on Czech currency.............................[]
=========================== EVENTS =============================
STRASBOURG, France - Czech President Vaclav Klaus to speak
in the European Parliament.
Related news: []
PRAGUE - Czech central bank governing board to hold a
regular weekly meeting. It is not scheduled to discuss monetary
policy issues.
Related news: []
PRAGUE - 13-week T-bill auction.
Related news: []
PRAGUE - Czech daily newspaper Hospodarske Noviny to
organise a forum "How the Czech anti-recession plan looks" with
Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek (1530 GMT).
Related news: []
============================NEWS================================
GOVT BOND: The Czech Finance Ministry sold 0.13 billion
crowns ($5.64 million) worth of 8-year government bonds
<CZ1002331=> out of 1.5 billion crowns worth of the paper slated
for the second, non-competitive round of an auction
Story: [] Related news: []
REGION'S C.BANKS SCRAMBLE TO HALT FX SLIDE: Central European
policymakers eyed interest rates, market intervention and
bailouts on Wednesday to dig out their battered banks and
currencies, while the EU warned them not to exacerbate panic by
talking too much.
Story: [] Related news: []
CZECH STIMULUS: The Czech government expects to boost the
country's economy by 4.7 percentage points with a stimulus
package worth 73 billion crowns ($3.17 billion), Prime Minister
Mirek Topolanek said.
LISBON TREATY: The lower house of the Czech parliament
approved the European Union's reform treaty on Wednesday, an
important step towards its full ratification.
Story: [] Related news: []
FLOATER HITS POOR DEMAND: The Czech Republic sold less than
half of the 10 billion crowns it offered in its 8-year, floating
rate bond auction on Wednesday, signalling tougher times as the
price of risk in central Europe rises.
Story: [] Related news: []
KOMERCNI Q4 IN LINE: Net profit at Komercni Banka rose in
line with market forecasts in the fourth quarter, and the only
listed Czech bank said it was prepared for a difficult two years
as the economic crisis bites.
Story: [] Related news: []
---------------------- MARKET SNAPSHOT ------------------------
Index/Crown Currency Latest Prev Pct change Pct change
close on day in 2009
Czech Equities <> 628.5 628.5 +0.00 -100.00
vs Euro <EURCZK=> 28.807 29.240 +1.50 -7.00
vs Dollar <CZK=> 22.859 23.156 +1.34 -16.36
U.S. Equities <> 7,556 7,553 +0.04 -13.91
Pvs close or current levels vs prior domestic close at 1600 GMT
=========================PRESS DIGEST==========================
STIMULUS PACKAGE: Parliament's lower house failed to pass a
bill on Wednesday for extending the VAT write-off so that it
applies to all newly bought company cars. The proposal is one of
key measures of the government's stimulus package.
Hospodarske Noviny, page 19
MORTGAGES: Mortgage lending dropped by 44 percent year on
year in January to 4.6 billion crowns ($199.6 million) as Czechs
wait for a further drop in interest rates and property prices.
Hospodarske Noviny, page 18
CIGARETTE PRICES: Cigarette maker Philip Morris Czech
Republic <> said it raised prices of some cigarette
brands by up to 2 crowns a pack, passing along with a delay an
excise tax hike.
Mlada Fronta Dnes, page B1
CEZ: Power group CEZ <> plans to call a tender soon
to choose suppliers for building new reactors at its nuclear
plant in Temelin.
E15, page 1
Reuters has not verified the media reports, nor does it
vouch for their accuracy.
For Instant Views of key economic data click on []
For summary of economic data and forecasts <CZ/ECON01>
For diary of forthcoming Czech events []
For calendar of east European economic indicators []
TOP NEWS -- Emerging markets []
TOP NEWS -- Convergence watch []
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 <> Budapest BUX <> Prague 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 Jana Mlcochova)
