Czech Republic - Factors To Watch on Feb 7

                                
 PRAGUE, Feb 7 (Reuters) - Here are news stories, press
reports and events to watch which may affect Czech financial
markets on Thursday:
                                
 ALL TIMES GMT (Czech Republic: GMT + 1 hours)

 ======================== ECONOMIC DATA ========================
                                
 January foreign exchange reserves due out at 0900.
                                
 January consumer prices and unemployment figures are due out
at 0800 GMT on Friday.
                                
 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 ============================
                                
 CENTRAL BANK MEETS: The central bank is widely expected to
raise the main repo rate by 25 basis points to 3.75 percent on
Thursday. It will also reveal new inflation forecast and an
expected interest rate trajectory.
                                
 Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-CEN]
                                
 
                                
 RADAR TALKS: Czech and U.S. officials are due to continue
negotiations on building part of the U.S. missile defence shield
in the country.
                                
 Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-US]
                                
 
                                
 PRESIDENTIAL VOTE: Political parties are expected to meet to
discuss presidential election due on Friday. The parliament has
been split on whether to hold a public or secret ballot, a spat
that may delay the vote.
                                
 Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-POL]
                                
 
========================= TOP NEWS =============================
                                
 U.S. VISAS: The United States may scrap visa requirements
for Czechs, Greeks and Estonians by the end of this year, an
official at U.S. Department of Homeland Security said on
Wednesday.
                                
 Story: [ID:nL06671734] Related news [RTRS-LEN-CZ-US]
                                
 
========================= ELSEWHERE IN NEWS ====================
                                
 NATO AND MISSILE DEFENCE: The NATO military alliance will
likely agree at a summit this spring that the planned U.S.
missile defence shield could be integrated with its systems in
the future, a senior Czech government source said on Wednesday.
                                
 Story: [ID:nL06276003] [RTRS-LEN-CZ-DIP]
 ---------------------- MARKET SNAPSHOT ------------------------
 Index/Crown Currency  Latest    Prev    Pct change   Pct change
                                
                              close   on day       in 2008
 Czech Equities  <.PX> 1,532.5  1,544.1   -0.75        -15.57
 vs Euro     <EURCZK=>  25.600   25.585   -0.06         +3.52
 vs Dollar      <CZK=>  17.489   17.441   -0.28         +3.89
 U.S. Equities  <.DJI>  12,200   12,265   -0.53         -8.03
 Pvs close or current levels vs prior domestic close at 1500
                                
 (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

 (Reporting by Jan Lopatka)