Czech Republic - Factors To Watch on June 26

                                
 PRAGUE, June 26 (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 + 2 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 CEE currencies.............................[CEE/]
 
=========================EVENTS=================================
                                
 PRAGUE - Gala opening of the conference "Holocaust Era
Assets Conference" with attendance by Nobel Peace Laureate Elie
Wiesel, former President of the European Parliament Simone Veil
and Minister for European Affairs Stefan Fule. The conference
will also host former US Minister of Foreign Affairs Madeleine
Albright.
                                
 Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-DIP]
                                
 
=========================TOP NEWS===============================
                                
 RATES ON HOLD: The Czech central bank defied expectations of
a quarter-point cut in interest rates on Thursday, saying it
kept rates steady after recession-resistant consumers spent more
in the face of a deep economic downturn.
                                
 Story: [ID:nLP385085] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-INT]
                                
 
                                
 CZECH FLOODS: At least 10 people died in flooding in the
eastern Czech Republic, and rising river levels prompted flood
warnings across central Europe following heavy rains this week.
                                
 Story: [ID:nLP8009] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-DIS]
                                
 
                                
 CEZ INVESTMENT: Czech power group CEZ <CEZPsp.PR> plans to
invest around 20 billion Czech crowns ($1.07 billion) in an 841
megawatt gas-fired power plant in the northwest of the country,
the company said.
                                
 Story: [ID:nLP183170] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-ELG]
                                
 
                                
 CEE FX RECOVER: The Czech crown <EURCZK=> recovered earlier
losses late on Thursday, after the central bank said risks of a
deeper recession were easing, hours after it surprisingly
decided to hold rates.
                                
 Story: [ID:nLP637500] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-FRX]
                                
 
                                
 ODS JUMP: The rightist Czech Civic Democrats (ODS) has
jumped above the main leftist party, the Social Democrats (CSSD)
in popularity four months before an early election, a survey
showed.
                                
 Story: [ID:nLP161256] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-POL]
                                
 
                                
 STEEP INDUSTRIAL DROP EXPECTED: Czech industrial output
likely showed a double-digit drop for a seventh straight month
in May, a poll showed on Thursday, with orders sinking as
export-reliant manufacturers suffer from falling euro zone
demand.
                                
 Story: [ID:nLP101254] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-ECI]

 ---------------------- MARKET SNAPSHOT ------------------------
 Index/Crown Currency  Latest    Prev    Pct change   Pct change
                                
                              close   on day       in 2009
 Czech Equities  <.PX>   893.0    893.0   +0.00          N/A 
 vs Euro     <EURCZK=>  25.951   25.960   +0.03         +3.23
 vs Dollar      <CZK=>  18.460   18.483   +0.10         +3.50
 U.S. Equities  <.DJI>   8,472    8,300   +2.08         -3.46
 Pvs close or current levels vs prior domestic close at 1600 GMT

=========================PRESS DIGEST===========================
                                
 FLOOD INSURANCE: Czech insurers estimate flooding this week
will cost at least 350 million crowns ($18.70 million).
                                
 Lidove Noviny, page 15
                                
 
                                
 POCERADY: Czech Coal group offered 15 billion crowns for
CEZ's <CEZPsp.PR> coal-fired Pocerady plant, although CEZ says
its sale is not being considered at the moment.
                                
 Mlada Fronta Dnes, page A11
                                
 
                                
 ENVIRONMENTAL TENDER: Prime Minister Jan Fischer said the
tender for a large environmental cleanup worth tens of billions
of crown was still under review, and a final decision would be
taken by the next government after October.
                                
 Hospodarske Noviny, page 9
                                
 
                                
 RUSSIAN MEET: The leader of the left Social Democrats (CSSD)
and potential next prime minister, Jiri Paroubek, met with
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, discussing international
relations and Czech-Russian relations.
                                
 Mlada Fronta Dnes, page A9
                                
 
                                
 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 +420 224 190 474;
fax: +420 224 229 935
                                
 E-mail: prague.newsroom@reuters.com
  (Compiled by Jason Hovet)