Czech Republic - Factors To Watch on Aug 25

                                
 PRAGUE, Aug 25 (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 + 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/]
====================== TOP NEWS ===============================
                                
 CEE INTEREST RATES: Interest rates across central Europe are
expected to remain on hold next week as policymakers step back
to gauge the impact of strong currencies and easing commodity
prices on long-term inflation and growth.
                                
 Story: [ID:nLI449577] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-FRX]
                                
 
                                
 PPF ACQUIRES OPTION FOR GENERALI STAKE IN ZENTIVA:  Czech
PPF Group acquired an option to buy a stake in generic drugs
maker Zentiva NV <ZNTVsp.PR> indirectly owned by Italy's
Generali <GASI.MI>, a PPF spokesman said.
                                
 Story: [ID:nLM147607] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-MRG]

                                
 CSA SALE COULD START BY YEAR-END: Czech Airlines (CSA) could
be put up for sale as early as this year as the Czech Republic
looks to act before the market worsens, a Finance Ministry
official said on Friday.
                                
 Story: [ID:nLM585007] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-FRX]
                                
 
 ---------------------- MARKET SNAPSHOT ------------------------
 Index/Crown Currency  Latest    Prev    Pct change   Pct change
                                
                              close   on day       in 2008
 Czech Equities  <.PX> 1,455.4  1,440.3   +1.05        -19.82
 vs Euro     <EURCZK=>  24.420   24.420   +0.00         +8.52
 vs Dollar      <CZK=>  16.554   16.558   -0.02         +9.72
 U.S. Equities  <.DJI>  11,628   11,430   +1.73        -12.34
 Pvs close or current levels vs prior domestic close at 1500
====================== PRESS DIGEST===========================
                                
 CITIBANK TO GROW IN CZECH MARKET: Citibank <C.N> is
considering options to expand on the Czech market, including a
potential acquisition, Citibank's CEE consumer finance chief
said.
                                
 Hospodarske Noviny, page 17
                                

                                
 ZIEGLER HEADING TO ECM: Kamil Ziegler will be appointed as
financial director at developer ECM <ECMsp.PR>.
                                
 Hospodarske Noviny, page 18
                                
 
                                
 CEZ COMPLETES DETMAROVICE REPAIR: Power group CEZ
<CEZPsp.PR> completed five-month repair work on its 800 MW hard
coal plant in Detmarovice.
                                
 Hospodraske Noviny, page 18
                                
 
                                
 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: Jana Mlcochova on +420 224 190 479;
fax: +420 224 229 935
                                
 E-mail: prague.newsroom@reuters.com
 (Compiled by Jana Mlcochova)