Czech Republic - Factors To Watch on May 20

                                
 PRAGUE, May 20 (Reuters) - Here are news stories, press
reports and events to watch which may affect Czech financial
markets on Tuesday:
                                
 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 - Industry Minister Martin Riman and CEZ <CEZPsp.PR>
board member Vladimir Hlavinka to attend a forum on the future
of nuclear energy in the Czech Republic at 1200 GMT.
                                
 Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-ELG]
                                
 
                                
 PRAGUE - Defence Minister Vlasta Parkanova to present in
parliament the progress of talks with the U.S. over siting a
U.S. missile shield in the country, 1145 GMT.
                                
 Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-DIP]
                                
 
                                
 BRNO - The Constitutional Court will discuss whether the
government's introduction of fees for medical services is legal.
                                
 Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-POL]
                                
 
                                
 PRAGUE - Trade union leader (CMKOS) Milan Stech to hold a
news conference on how to support protests by fellow teachers
and health workers unions.
                                
 Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-POL]
                                
 
======================= TOP NEWS ===============================
                                
 RATE HIKE: The Czech economy may be helped by one more
interest rate increase given signals on demand and the
development of adjusted inflation excluding fuels, central bank
Vice-Governor Mojmir Hampl said on Monday.
                                
 [ID:nL19504004] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-CEN]
                                
 
                                
 ZENTIVA BEATS FCAST: Czech drug maker Zentiva's <ZNTVsp.PR>
net profit dropped 9.5 percent on the year in the first quarter
-- a much smaller drop than analysts expected -- the company
said on Monday, confirming its full-year guidance.
                                
 [ID:nL19677122] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-DRU]
                                
 
                                
 RETAIL SALES DOWN: Czech retail sales dropped unexpectedly
in March, the first decline in more than four years, extending a
string of poor data pointing to a slowdown in the fast-growing
Czech economy and stable interest rates.
                                
 [ID:nL19586590] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-RET]
                                
 
                                
 AIRPORT SALE: The Czech government will demand at least 100
billion crowns ($6.2 billion)from the winning bidder for Prague
Airport, Finance Minister Miroslav Kalousek said in a newspaper
interview.
                                
 [ID:nL19560885] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-AIR]
                                
 
==================== ELSEWHERE IN NEWS =========================
                                
 UNIPETROL OUTLOOK: Czech oil processor Unipetrol <UNPEsp.PR>
expects a significant growth in petrochemical sales this year
and next on a base effect and capacity rise, Chief Executive
Francois Vleugels said on Monday.
                                
 [ID:nL19131230] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-CHE]
 
NWR SHARES JUMP: Shares in Czech coal miner New World
Resources <NWRSsp.PR> jumped 10 percent on Monday on rising coal
prices and low volumes, a dealer said.
                                
 [ID:nL19236732] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-COA]
                                
 
                                
 VIG PROFIT UP: Vienna Insurance Group's <VIGR.VI> pre-tax
profit in the first quarter of 2008 rose 24 percent to 125
million euros ($195 million), the company said on Tuesday.
                                
 [ID:nVIE001251] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-INS]
                                
 
====================== PRESS DIGEST ============================
                                
 PPF BID: Czech-Slovak private equity group J&T plans to sell
its minority stake in Czech generic drugs maker Zentiva
<ZNTVsp.PR> to Generali PPF Holding, daily E15 quoted a source
as saying.
                                
 E15, page 1
                                
 
                                
 POWER PRICE JUMPS: Czech baseload power price jumped 40
percent since August with the 2009 delivery trading at 70 euros
per megawatt hour last week.
                                
 E15, page 1
                                
 
                                
 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)