Czech Republic - Factors To Watch on July 31

                                
 PRAGUE, July 31 (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 + 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 - June money supply data at 0800 GMT.
                                
 
                                
 PRAGUE - Czech central bank governing board to hold a
regular weekly meeting. It is not scheduled to discuss monetary
policy issues.
                                
 
====================== TOP NEWS ================================
                                
 UNIPETROL SEES RUSSIAN OIL SUPPLIES UP: Supplies of Russian
oil to Czech company Unipetrol <UNPEsp.PR> should recover in
August after a cut this month but will probably still lag behind
planned volumes, a source from the refining group said.
                                
 Story: [ID:nL0511209] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-CRU]
                                
 
                                
 HALF POINT RATE CUT MAY BE DISCUSSED: The Czech central bank
may discuss a hefty 50 basis point interest rate cut when its
policymakers meet next Thursday, board member Pavel Rezabek
said, sending the crown currency lower.
                                
 Story: [ID:nL0385002] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-CEN]
                                
 
                                
 CROWN FALLS TO MONTH LOW: The Czech crown <EURCZK=> weakened
more than 1 percent on Wednesday to a one-month low of 23.98 per
euro following comments from central bankers that they may
consider cutting interest rates at their Aug. 7 meeting.
                                
 Story: [ID:nPRG000923] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-FRX]
                                
 
                                
 POWER CONSUMPTION UP 2.2 PCT IN H1: Czech electricity
consumption rose 2.2 percent in the first half of the year,
continuing a trend of growing demand that has helped boost
profit at central Europe's largest electric group CEZ
<CEZPsp.PR>.
                                
 Story: [ID:nL0409840] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-ENR]
                                
 
                                
 POSSIBLE LONGER LIFE FOR CZECH URANIUM MINES: Renewed
interest in nuclear power and high uranium prices may extend the
life of Czech uranium mines or even reopen closed deposits, said
the head of the country's sole, state-owned miner Diamo.
                                
 Story: [ID:nL0202810] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-ENR]
                                
 
                                
 CME UPS Q2 REVENUE BY 41 PERCENT: Revenue at TV station
group Central European Media Enterprises <CETV.O> <CETVsp.PR>
jumped 41 percent year-on-year in the second quarter, beating
forecasts on the back of strong advertising spending in
fast-growing central and eastern Europe and the weak dollar.
                                
 Story: [ID:nL0552905] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-PUB]
                                
 
 ---------------------- MARKET SNAPSHOT ------------------------
 Index/Crown Currency  Latest    Prev    Pct change   Pct change
                                
                              close   on day       in 2008
 Czech Equities  <.PX> 1,474.0  1,443.9   +2.08        -18.79
 vs Euro     <EURCZK=>  23.880   23.830   -0.21        +10.97
 vs Dollar      <CZK=>  15.289   15.272   -0.13        +18.82
 U.S. Equities  <.DJI>  11,584   11,398   +1.63        -12.67
 Pvs close or current levels vs prior domestic close at 1500
                                
 
====================== PRESS DIGEST ===========================
                                
 CESKA SPORITELNA EARNS RECORD H1 PROFIT: Ceska Sporitelna,
the Czech unit of Austria's Erste Bank <ERST.VI> <ERSTsp.PR>,
raised first half net profit 26 percent to a record 6.6 billion
crowns ($431.2 million), indicating strong earnings for peers
Komercni Banka <BKOMsp.PR> and CSOB <KBC.BR>.
                                
 Hospodarske Noviny, page 9
                                
 
                                
 BIG MAC INDEX SHOWS STRENGTH OF CROWN: The BigMac Index, a
popular price comparison measure, shows the McDonalds' hamburger
costs 28 percent more in the Czech Republic than in the United
States.
                                
 Lidove Noviny, page 11
                                
 
                                
 HOUSEHOLD INDEBTEDNESS RISES: Czech household indebtedness
grew an additional 70 billion crowns in the first half of the
year after standing at 875.3 billion ($57.19 billion) at the end
of 2007, according to the Czech Statistics Bureau.
                                
 Lidove Noviny, page 12
                                
 
                                
 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 Jason Hovet)