Czech Republic - Factors To Watch on May 5

                                
 PRAGUE, May 5 (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 + 1 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 - Conference "Anti-missile defence after NATO summit
in Bucharest: European and American perspectives" with Czech
Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek and NATO Secretary-General Jaap
de Hoop Scheffer (0745 GMT).
                                
 Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-DIP-US]
                                
 
                                
 PRAGUE - Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek and NATO
Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer to meet. News conference
at 1000 GMT.
                                
 Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-DIP-US]
                                
 
======================= TOP NEWS ===============================
                                
 PPF BID: Czech investment group PPF launched on Friday a 950
crowns per share bid for generic drugs maker Zentiva
<ZNTVsp.PR>, valuing it at 36.2 billion crowns ($2.2 billion),
and said it was positive about Zentiva's strategic direction.
                                
 Story: [ID:nL02879900] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-DRU]
                                
 
                                
 CEZ BUY-BACK: Czech power firm CEZ <CEZPsp.PR> said on
Friday it had completed a buy-back programme and holds 9.998
percent of its shares, including stock held in a management
option scheme.
                                
 Story: [ID:nPRA00189] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-ELG]
                                
 
                                
 MISSILE VOTE: The Czech ruling right-wing party raised the
pressure on its government partner to back a planned U.S.
missile defence radar, threatening to block other key votes,
daily Lidove Noviny said on Friday.
                                
 Story: [ID:nL02530483] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-DIP-US]
                                
 
====================== ELSEWHERE IN NEWS =======================
                                
 CROWN WEAK: The Czech crown held at weaker levels on Friday
inspired by the dollar's rise, after a drop in the thin previous
session when the Prague market was closed for the May Day
holiday.
                                
 Story: [ID:nL02628407] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-FRX]
                                
 
                                
 PMI FALLS TO 33-MONTH LOW: The Czech Purchasing Managers'
Index (PMI) dropped to 54.1 in April from 57.4 in March, NTC
Research and ABN Amro said on Friday.
                                
 Story: [ID:nL30462084] 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> 1,659.9  1,609.8   +3.11         -8.55
 vs Euro     <EURCZK=>  25.325   25.270   -0.22         +4.64
 vs Dollar      <CZK=>  16.313   16.375   +0.38        +11.38
 U.S. Equities  <.DJI>  13,058   13,010   +0.37         -1.56
 Pvs close or current levels vs prior domestic close at 1500
                                
 
                                
 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
 (Reporting by Martin Dokoupil)