Czech Republic - Factors To Watch on June 18

                                
 PRAGUE, June 18 (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 ========================
                                
 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 - Trade union leader (CMKOS) Milan Stech to hold a
news conference on upcoming strike (0800 GMT).
                                
 Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-POL]
                                
 
                                
 PRAGUE - 3-year government bond auction <CZ1002158=>.
                                
 Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-DBT]
                                
 
                                
 PRAGUE - Czech central bank governing board to hold a
regular weekly meeting. It is not scheduled to discuss monetary
policy issues.
                                
 Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-CEN]
                                
 
                                
 PRAGUE - The lower house of parliament to hold an
extraordinary session. MPs to discuss pension and health reform.
                                
 Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-POL]
                                
 
====================== TOP NEWS ===============================
                                
 SANOFI TO BID FOR ZENTIVA: - French drugmaker Sanofi-Aventis
<SASY.PA> said on Wednesday it planned to make a rival 40.04
billion Czech crown ($2.57 billion) offer for Czech drugmaker
Zentiva <ZNTV.PR>, trumping a bid from financial group PPF.
                                
 Story: [ID:nL18591720] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-DRU]
                                
 
                                
 ZENTIVA TO COMMENT LATER: Czech generics drug maker Zentiva
<ZNTVsp.PR> will not comment on a 1.7 billion euro ($2.63
billion) offer by French drug maker Sanofi <SASY.PA>, the
company said on Wednesday.
                                
 Story: [ID:nPRG000858] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-DRU]
                                
 
                                
 PPF TO PROCEED WITH BID Czech financial group PPF said on
Wednesday it had no comment on Sanofi-Aventis' <SASY.PA>
competing bid for Czech drugs maker Zentiva <ZNTVsp.PR> and that
it would proceed in line with the terms of its own offer.
                                
 Story: [ID:nPRG000859] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-DRU]
                                
 
                                
 CROWN WORKS AGAINST RATE HIKE: Czech inflation risks have
risen over the past few weeks but the firm crown currency will
slow the economy and provide a strong argument for keeping rates
flat, a Czech central bank board member Vladimir Tomsik said.
                                
 Story: [ID:nL17525540] Related news:[RTRS-LEN-CZ-CEN]
                                
 
                                
 RETAILS SALES UP: Czech retail sales rose 4.6 percent
year-on-year in April, after a revised drop of 3.0 percent in
March, data showed on Wednesday.
                                
 Story: [ID:nL18582796] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-DRU]
                                
 
                                
 CROWN SEEN PULLING BACK: The Czech crown is expected to
weaken four percent versus the euro over the next six months on
profit taking, an expected interest rate hike in Europe and a
weaker economy, a Reuters poll showed on Tuesday.
                                
 Story: [ID:nL1774644 ] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-FRX]
                                
 
                                
 PPF LAUNCHES ZENTIVA BID: Czech financial group PPF launched
its previously notified 950 crown per share bid for Czech drugs
maker Zentiva on Tuesday, but the firm said shareholders should
not touch the offer for now.
                                
 Story: [ID:nL17449415] Related news:[RTRS-LEN-CZ-DRU]
                                
 
                                
 CURRENT ACCOUNT BEATS FORECAST: The Czech current account
posted a 4.68 billion crown ($297.4 million) deficit in April,
compared with a 13.1 billion deficit expected by the market,
data released on Tuesday showed.
                                
 Story: [ID:nL17898945] Related news:[RTRS-LEN-CZ-MCE]
                                
 
                                
 NWR POLISH ASSETS: Mining group New World Resources
<NWRSsp.PR> <NWRS.L> will get permission to reopen the Debiensko
mine in Poland very soon, an envirronment ministry official said
on Tuesday.
                                
 Story: [ID:nL17412973] Related news:[RTRS-LEN-CZ-MIN]
                                
 
====================== ELSEWHERE IN NEWS=====================
                                
 MERRILL LYNCH UPS CEZ TARGET: Merrill Lynch ups its price
objective for CEZ <CEZPsp.PR> to 1,510 crowns from 1,491 crowns
and maintains its buy rating for the power utility, citing
bullish outlook for power market fundamentals and higher power
price assumptions.
                                
 Story: [ID:nWNA5724] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-ELG]
                                
 
---------------------- MARKET SNAPSHOT ------------------------
 Index/Crown Currency  Latest    Prev    Pct change   Pct change
                                
                              close   on day       in 2008
 Czech Equities  <.PX> 1,633.6  1,596.1   +2.35        -10.00
 vs Euro     <EURCZK=>  24.175   24.165   -0.04         +9.62
 vs Dollar      <CZK=>  15.592   15.553   -0.27        +16.51
 U.S. Equities  <.DJI>  12,160   12,269   -0.89         -8.33
 Pvs close or current levels vs prior domestic close at 1500
====================== PRESS DIGEST ===========================
                                
 ASSECO DELAYS IPO: Software maker Asseco Czech Republic
delayed its Warsaw IPO again due to the market conditions.
                                
 Hospodarske Noviny, page 23
                                
 
                                
 TOPOLANEK ON LISBON TREATY: Czech Prime Minister Mirek
Topolanek said the Lisbon treaty will not come into force even
if the ratification process in EU countries goes ahead.
                                
 E15, page 2
                                
 
                                
 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)