Czech Republic - Factors To Watch on Dec 30

                                
 PRAGUE, Dec 30 (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=========================
                                
 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 CEE currencies............................[CEE/]
                                
 
=============================EVENTS=============================
                                
 FINMIN NEWS CONFERENCE: The finance ministry is due to hold
as news conference at 3.30 p.m. (1430 GMT) on an arbitration
case against bank CSOB <KBKBt.BR>. An arbitration panel has
ruled to reject the state's 33.3 billion crown ($1.74 billion)
case against the bank.
=============================TOP NEWS===========================
                                
 CSOB CLAIM: Czech bank CSOB, a unit of Belgium's KBC
<KBKBt.BR>, said on Wednesday an arbitration tribunal had
rejected a 33.3 billion crown ($1.73 billion) claim by the Czech
state, clearing the last major litigation case ahead of CSOB's
planned initial public offering.
                                
 Story: [ID:nLDE6BS0QR] Related news; [RTRS-LEN-CZ-BNK]
                                
 
                                
 CEE MARKETS: Central European stock markets extended a
year-end rally on Wednesday, lifting the Polish zloty, while
investors seeking safer havens drove the Hungarian forint close
to all-time lows against the Swiss franc.
                                
 Story: [ID:nLDE6BS0EE] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-FRX]
                                
 
                                
 CEE POWER: Czech day ahead power prices rose on Wednesday in
thin trade ahead of the New Year's holiday as temperatures were
expected to remain well below freezing.
                                
 Story: [ID:nLDE6BS0ZG] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-DRV]
                                
 
 ---------------------- MARKET SNAPSHOT ------------------------
 Index/Crown Currency    Latest     Prev   Pct change Pct change
                                
                                 close    on day     in 2010
 vs Euro    <EURCZK=>     25.309     25.336    0.11       3.83
 vs Dollar     <CZK=>     19.132     19.299    0.87      -4.11
 Czech Equities <.PX>  1,234.9    1,234.9      1.23      10.53
 U.S. Equities <.DJI> 11,585.38  11,575.54     0.09      11.1
 Pvs close or current levels vs prior domestic close at 1500 GMT
 ==========================PRESS DIGEST=========================
                                
 PRIVATISATION PLANS: The Finance Ministry plans to ask other
departments to draw lists of state assets that could be
privatised. This could include the Budweiser Budvar brewery, the
post service, and the forestry company Lesy CR.
                                
 Mlada fronta Dnes, page 1 
                                
 
                                
 LOTTERY FIRM BATTLES CREDITORS: Lottery firm Sazka has sued
Komercni Banka <BKOMsp.PR> for allegedly damaging its name. It
is seeking 1 billion crowns ($52.25 million).
                                
 Hospodarske Noviny, page 19
                                
 
                                
 HEALTH MINISTER LOOKING FOR CASH: The Health Ministry is
looking fro ways to get five billion crowns from reserves at
insurance companies' books into the health system to fund a pay
hike for doctors who are threatening to leave in their
thousands.
                                
 Hospodarske Noviny, page 4
                                
 
                                
 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>

                                
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fax: +420 224 229 935
                                
 E-mail: prague.newsroom@reuters.com