Czech Republic - Factors To Watch on Jan 31

                                
 PRAGUE, Jan 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 + 1 hours)

 ======================== ECONOMIC DATA ========================
                                
 No economic indicators are due for release until December M2
money supply numbers at 0900 GMT on Jan. 31.
                                
 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 ============================
                                
 CNB MEETING: The Czech central bank (CNB) governing board
holds a regular weekly meeting. It is not scheduled to discuss
policy issues but is expected to announce how many members will
participate at its forthcoming policy meeting on Feb. 7.
                                
 Related news:
                                
 [RTRS-CZ-CEN-PLCY]
                                
 
                                
 FIN MIN FORECASTS: Finance Ministry will publish quarterly
update of its macroeconomic forecasts on its Web site
www.mfcr.cz at 1300 GMT.
                                
 Related news:
                                
 [RTRS-CZ-MCE-ECI]
                                
 
                                
 U.S. RADAR: Foreign Ministry continues talks with a U.S.
delegation on construction of a new radar base in the Czech
Republic.
                                
 Related news:
                                
 [RTRS-CZ-US-POL]
                                
 
========================= TOP NEWS =============================
                                
 C.BANKER DOVISH ON RATES: The threat of a recession in the
United States and the strong crown currency should discourage
the Czech central bank from raising interest rates, central bank
board member Robert Holman said on Wednesday.
                                
 [ID:nL30152911] [RTRS-CZ-CEN-PLCY]
                                
 
========================= ELSEWHERE IN NEWS ====================
                                
 UNIPETROL SEES Q4 LOSS: Czech Unipetrol <UNPEsp.PR> expects
an operating loss for the fourth quarter of 2007 due to
prolonged shutdowns at key petrochemical and refinery units,
Chief Financial Officer Wojciech Ostrowski said on Wednesday.
                                
 [ID:nL30830975] [RTRS-CZ-REFI-CHE-ENR]
                                
 
                                
 JAN CPI SEEN AT 9-YR TOP: Czech consumer inflation probably
climbed to a nine-year peak in January, fed by tax hikes and
soaring food and energy prices, a Reuters poll of analysts
showed on Wednesday.
                                
 [ID:nL30809187] [RTRS-CZ-ECI-CEN-PLCY]
                                
 
                                
 ORCO REVENUES JUMP: Real estate developer Orco Property
Group <ORCOsp.PR> said on Wednesday that 2007 revenues rose 57
percent year on year to 270.8 million euros ($401 million),
beating the firm's target of 250 million.
                                
 [ID:nPRA001728] [RTRS-CZ-REA-RES]
                                
 
                                
 BANKING WOES: West European banks who brought new capital to
eastern Europe in the 1990s may now also be transferring the
developed world's credit woes at a time when many of the
region's economies are under stress.
                                
 [ID:nL30525935] [RTRS-CZ-BNK-FIN]
                                
 
                                
 GENERALI PLANS: Italy's biggest insurer Generali <GASI.MI>
is interested in making an acquisition in the United States, but
not at any price, a top executive said on Wednesday.
                                
 [ID:nL30760793] [RTRS-CZ-INS-MRG-INSR]
                                
 
 ---------------------- MARKET SNAPSHOT ------------------------
 Index/Crown Currency  Latest    Prev    Pct change   Pct change
                                
                              close   on day       in 2008
 Czech Equities  <.PX> 1,521.2  1,501.0   +1.35        -16.19
 vs Euro     <EURCZK=>  25.950   25.992   +0.16         +2.12
 vs Dollar      <CZK=>  17.428   17.580   +0.87         +4.26
 U.S. Equities  <.DJI>  12,443   12,480   -0.30         -6.20
 Pvs close or current levels vs prior domestic close at 1500
 
======================= PRESS DIGEST ==========================
                                
 ARMOURED CARRIERS: The Czech government decided on Wednesday
to renew talks with Steyr Daimler Puch, the Austrian unit of
U.S. defence contractor General Dynamics <GN.N>, over a $1.3
billion order of armoured personnnel carriers.
                                
 Hospodarske Noviny, page 1
                                
 
                                
 U.S. RADAR CONTACT:  Czech diplomats expect to wrap up key
part of talks with the United States over construction of a
radar base in the Czech Republic next week.
                                
 Hospodarske Noviny, page 4
                                
 
                                
 BOURSE LISTING: Czech internet retailer Internet Mall plans
a dual listing on the Prague stock exchange and another European
bourse in the next five years through its newly created
Dutch-based mother company Netretail Holding.
                                
 Hospodarske Noviny, page 14
 
 (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 Martin Dokoupil)