Czech Republic - Factors To Watch on April 18

                                
 PRAGUE, April 18 (Reuters) - Here are news stories, press
reports and events to watch which may affect Czech financial
markets on Friday:
                                
 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/]
                                
 
========================= TOP NEWS =============================
                                
 RETAIL SALES STRONG: Czech retail sales grew a faster than
expected 6.3 percent year-on-year in February, after a revised
January's 4.0 percent rise.
                                
 Story: [ID:nL17776198] Related news; [RTRS-LEN-CZ-ECI]
================= ELSEWHERE IN THE NEWS ========================
                                
 TELFONICA PROFIT SEEN UP: Telefonica O2 Czech Republic first
quarter net profit <SPTTsp.PR> is seen to have increased by 15
percent due to lower amortisation and taxes, a Reuters poll
showed.
                                
 Story: [ID:nL16908119] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-RESF]
 ---------------------- MARKET SNAPSHOT ------------------------
 Index/Crown Currency  Latest    Prev    Pct change   Pct change
                                
                              close   on day       in 2008
 Czech Equities  <.PX> 1,532.6  1,537.7   -0.33        -15.56
 vs Euro     <EURCZK=>  24.995   24.990   -0.02         +6.02
 vs Dollar      <CZK=>  15.687   15.694   +0.06        +15.84
 U.S. Equities  <.DJI>  12,620   12,619   +0.01         -4.86
 Pvs close or current levels vs prior domestic close at 1500
                                
 
================== PRESS DIGEST ================================
                                
 AIRLINE SALE: The Finance Ministry proposes that a Czech
company takes a 51 percent stake in national airline Ceske
Aerolinie in order to maintain its status as national carrier.
This would prevent it from losing access to some markets. The
government may sell around 90 percent stake in the airline.
                                
 Mlada fronta Dnes, page B1, B3.
                                
 
                                
 HEALTH FEES: Junior partners in the ruling coalition demand
that children, pensioners in retirement homes and chronically
ill patients. The issue has led to a dispute in the ruling
coalition.
                                
 Hospodarske Noviny, page 1.
                                
 
                                
 FORECLOSURES RISE: The number of executions against
delinquent debtors jumped by 40 percent last year, mainly due to
the rising volume of consumer loans.
                                
 Mlada fronta Dnes, page B2.
                                
 
                                
 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 Jan Lopatka)