Czech Republic - Factors To Watch on Jan 11

                                
 PRAGUE, Jan 11 (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 ========================
                                
 No economic data are due for release until December producer
prices (PPI) on Tuesday.
                                
 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/]

 ========================== TOP STORY ==========================
                                
 RATE HIKES SEEN: The central bank (CNB) will need to
continue raising interest rates, which are already at 5-1/2-year
highs, if inflation expectations jump across the economy, two
CNB policymakers said, helping propell the crown to record
peaks.
                                
 Story: [nL10444477] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-PLCY]

 ---------------------- MARKET SNAPSHOT ------------------------
 Index/Crown Currency  Latest    Prev    Pct change
                                
                              close   on day
 Czech Equities  <.PX> 1,646.1  1,688.9   -2.53
 vs Euro     <EURCZK=>  25.930   25.915   -0.06
 vs Dollar      <CZK=>  17.496   17.575   +0.33
 U.S. Equities  <.DJI>  12,853   12,735   +0.92
 Pvs close or current levels vs prior domestic close at 1500

==================== ELSEWHERE IN THE NEWS ====================
                                
 PENSION REFORM: The ruling coalition agreed to push its
pension reform plan through parliament despite failure to reach
a wide political consensus on the plan aimed to avoid a collapse
of the state budget in the future.
                                
 Story: [nL10904120] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-GVD]
                                
 
                                
 CEZ TUMBLES: Shares in Czech power utility CEZ <CEZPsp.PR>
fell more than 5 percent on Thursday, extending losses seen
since the beginning of the year and pulling the Prague bourse
down.
                                
 Story: [nL10888545] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-CEZPsp.PR]
                                
 
                                
 CZECHS, POLES COORDINATE U.S. SHIELD TALKS: The Polish and
Czech governments will coordinate talks with the United States
on building parts of a U.S. missile defence shield in the two
central European countries, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk
said.
                                
 Story: [nL10567576] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-PL-DIP]

======================= PRESS DIGEST ==========================
                                
 C.BANKER ON EURO ADOPTION: Central bank board member Robert
Holman wrote in an opinion column that the Czech Republic is not
ready to adopt the euro, and warned that pegging the crown to
the euro now would spur inflation.
                                
 Mlada fronta Dnes, page 9
                                
 
 (Reuters has not verified any of the newspaper reports that may
be quoted above and does not 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
                                
 Reuters Messaging: jan.lopatka.reuters.com@reuters.net

 (Compiled by Marek Petrus)