Czech Republic - Factors To Watch on July 16

                                
 PRAGUE, July 16 (Reuters) - Here are news stories, press
reports and events to watch which may affect Czech financial
markets on Wednesday:
                                
 ALL TIMES GMT (Czech Republic: GMT + 2 hours)

 ======================== ECONOMIC DATA ========================
                                
 May retail sales data at 0700 GMT. Analysts expect sales to
grow 2.5 percent for the month compared with a 4.6 percent rise
in April.
                                
 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 NEWS ================================
                                
 RUSSIAN OIL SUPPLIER RE-ROUTES SUPPLIES: Oil company Tatneft
<TATN3.MM>, one of two key suppliers of Russian crude to the
Czech Republic, said it had reduced Czech deliveries because it
had re-routed volumes to Turkey, where it could get better
prices.
                                
 Story: [ID:nL15628192] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-DIP]
                                
 
                                
 SKODA AUTO H1 SALES UP 18 PERCENT: First-half sales at
Volkswagen's <VOWG.DE> Czech unit Skoda Auto rose 17.9 percent
to 366,686 vehicles, boosted by growing sales in Eastern Europe.
                                
 Story: [ID:nL15668697] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-AUT]
                                
 
                                
 EMERGING STOCKS HIT 2008 LOW: Emerging stocks sank to their
lowest level this year while the Polish zloty hit a record high
on higher-than-expected inflation data, but Hungary's forint
<EURHUF> and the Czech crown <EURCZK=> backed away from recent
highs.
                                
 Story: [ID:nL15665452] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CEEU-EMRG]
                                
 
                                
 CURRENT ACCOUNT GAP WIDER THAN FORECAST: The Czech current
account posted an 11.68 billion crown ($734.3 million) deficit
in May, compared with a market forecast for an 11.3 billion
crown gap, data showed on Tuesday.
                                
 Story: [ID:nL15710034] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-ECI]
 ---------------------- MARKET SNAPSHOT ------------------------
 Index/Crown Currency  Latest    Prev    Pct change   Pct change
                                
                              close   on day       in 2008
 Czech Equities  <.PX> 1,400.3  1,440.4   -2.78        -22.85
 vs Euro     <EURCZK=>  23.326   23.342   +0.07        +13.61
 vs Dollar      <CZK=>  14.643   14.608   -0.34        +23.96
 U.S. Equities  <.DJI>  10,963   11,055   -0.84        -17.36
 Pvs close or current levels vs prior domestic close at 1500
 ====================== PRESS DIGEST ===========================
                                
 GREENS THREATEN TO LEAVE CABINET: The Green Party chairman
threatened that the party will leave the cabinet if restrictions
on Friday truck travel on highways do not take effect as of
January 1, 2009.
                                
 Lidove Noviny, page 11
                                
 
                                
 AAA AUTO TO ENTER RUSSIAN MARKET: The loss making used car
dealership AAA Auto Group <AAAAsp.PR> plans to enter the Russian
market next year, wants to swing in the black "as soon as
possible", the company's CEO said.
                                
 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: Mike Winfrey on +420 224 190 477;
fax: +420 224 229 935
                                
 E-mail: prague.newsroom@reuters.com
 (Compiled by Jana Mlcochova)