Czech Republic - Factors To Watch on Jan 16

                                
 PRAGUE, Jan 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 + 1 hours)

 ======================== ECONOMIC DATA ========================
                                
 November industrial and construction output data are due for
release at 0800. Economists polled by Reuters forecast an 8.5
percent increase year-on-year in industrial output.
                                
 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 ==========================
                                
 RECORD STRONG CROWN: The Czech crown rose to a lifetime high
of 25.820 against the euro <EURCZK=> on Tuesday, extending its
gains in the year-to-date to about 2.5 percent.
                                
 Story: [nL15597971]
 - For previous updates on Czech currency moves click on [CZK/]
 - For the Reuters scrolling global forex service click <FXNEWS>

 =========================== EVENTS ============================
                                
 CABINET MEETING: The cabinet meets in a regular weekly
session. No market-related items are officially on the agenda.
                                
 News conference is tentatively scheduled for 1100.
                                
 Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-POL]

 ---------------------- MARKET SNAPSHOT ------------------------
 Index/Crown Currency  Latest    Prev    Pct change   Pct change
                                
                              close   on day       in 2008
 Czech Equities  <.PX> 1,620.2  1,651.5   -1.90        -10.74
 vs Euro     <EURCZK=>  25.850   25.905   +0.21         +2.51
 vs Dollar      <CZK=>  17.476   17.432   -0.12         +4.11
 U.S. Equities  <.DJI>  12,501   12,778   -2.17         -5.76
 Pvs close or current levels vs prior domestic close at 1500

==================== ELSEWHERE IN THE NEWS ====================
                                
 PRODUCER PRICE GROWTH EBBS: Industrial producer prices
unexpectedly fell by 0.1 percent in December from November,
causing the annual rate of growth in factory-gate costs to ebb
to 5.3 percent from November's 2-1/2-year high of 5.4 percent.
                                
 Story: [nL1558769] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-ECI]
                                
 
                                
 LEFTISTS MAINTAIN LEAD: Support for the Czech opposition
Social Democrats (CSSD) dipped in early January but they still
lead the main ruling right-wing Civic Democrats (ODS), an
opinion poll showed.
                                
 Story: [nL15285584] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-POL]
                                
 
                                
 SKODA SALES HIT RECORD: Volkswagen's <VOWG.DE> Czech Skoda
unit said on Tuesday global sales of its cars rose 14.5 percent
to a record last year, beating its own forecasts, thanks mostly
to its best-seller Octavia model and new Roomster MPV.
                                
 Story: [nL15735383] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-VOWG.DE]


 (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)