Czech Republic - Factors To Watch on July 21

                                
 PRAGUE, July 21 (Reuters) - Here are news stories, press
reports and events to watch which may affect Czech financial
markets on Monday:
                                
 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 Czech currency.............................[CZK/]
                                
 
=======================EVENTS================================= 
                                
  PRAGUE - Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek to hold a
briefing with Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg at 0845 GMT.
                                
  Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-POL]
                                
 
====================== TOP NEWS ================================
                                
 CROWN HTS NEW RECORD VS EURO: The Czech crown extended its
gains versus the euro on Monday, hitting a new record high of
22.966 <EURCZK=>, according to the Reuters dealing system.
                                
 Story: [ID:nPRG000912] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-FRX]
                                
 
                                
 CROWN FIRMING NO SERIOUS THREAT TO ECONOMY - PM: A fast
appretiation of the Czech crown poses no serious threat to the
economy and is no reason to rush with euro adoption, Prime
Minister Mirek Topolanek was quoted as saying on Monday.
                                
 Story: [ID:nPRG000911] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-FRX]
                                
 
                                
 UNIPETROL SEES Q2 EBIT SLUMP: Czech oil refiner Unipetrol's
<UNPEsp.PR> second quarter operating profit likely dropped by
two thirds from a year ago on high oil prices, slipping margins
and a strong crown currency, the company said on Friday.
                                
  Story: [ID:nL18917836] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-OIL]
                                
 
                                
 UNIPETROL WINS CONTRACT: Czech oil refiner Unipetrol
<UNPEsp.PR> won a contract to supply diesel worth 8 billion
crowns ($549.5 million) to the state-owned Czech Railways, the
company said on Friday.
                                
 Story: [ID:nL18310226] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-OIL]
                                
 
                                
 ZENTIVA SALES SEEN UP: Czech generic drugs maker Zentiva
<ZNTVsp.PR> is expected to post a 33.8 percent year on year jump
in revenues in the second quarter on a strong performance in
Turkey and Russia, a Reuters poll showed on Friday.
                                
 Story: [ID:nL18126501] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-DRU]
                                
 
                                
 CZECH FORMIN SEES LISBON VOTE LATE THIS YEAR: The Czech
government will ask parliament to vote on the European Union's
Lisbon treaty after a regional election in October, Foreign
Minister Karel Schwarzenberg was quoted as saying on Friday.
                                
  Story: [ID:nL18876907] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-DIP]
                                
 
                                
  ZENTIVA TELLS SHAREHOLDERS TO REJECT SANOFI BID: Zentiva
<ZNTVsp.PR> advised its shareholders on Friday to reject a $2.1
billion takeover offer by France's Sanofi-Aventis <SASY.PA>, as
investors awaited a higher one in the bidding war with a Czech
financial fund.
                                
 Story: [ID:nL1844042] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-DRU]
                                
 CEZ EYES NUCLEAR TENDER IN RUSSIA:  Czech power group CEZ
<CEZPsp.PR> is interested in a tender in which Russia's RAO UES
<IRAO.MM> plans to sell up to 49 percent in its Kaliningrad unit
and a planned 6 billion euro ($9.51 billion) nuclear project,
CEZ said on Friday.
                                
 Story: [ID:nL18117590] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-NUC]
                                
 
 ---------------------- MARKET SNAPSHOT ------------------------
 Index/Crown Currency  Latest    Prev    Pct change   Pct change
                                
                              close   on day       in 2008
 Czech Equities  <.PX> 1,424.2  1,441.0   -1.17        -22.82
 vs Euro     <EURCZK=>  22.950   23.045   +0.41        +15.47
 vs Dollar      <CZK=>  14.464   14.532   +0.50        +25.66
 U.S. Equities  <.DJI>  11,497   11,447   +0.44        -13.33
 Pvs close or current levels vs prior domestic close at 1500

====================== PRESS DIGEST ===========================
                                
 CZECH POWER PRICES: The price of electricity is rising
faster than the crown currency is firming, so a reduction in the
price will not take place, CEZ <CEZPsp.PR> chief Martin Roman
said in an interview.
                                
 Lidove Noviny, page 13
                                
 
                                
 AAA AUTO SEES IMPROVED H1: Used car dealership AAA Auto
Group <AAAAsp.PR> expects company's performance in the first
half of 2008 better than the previous six months.
                                
 Hospodarske Noviny, page 19
                                
 
                                
 
                                
 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 Jana Mlcochova)