PRAGUE, March 24 (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=========================
March confidence indicators at 0800 GMT.
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Previous stories on Czech data.............[
]Overview of economic data and forecasts..........<CZ/ECON15>
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]============================EVENTS=============================== PRAGUE -The lower house of parliament to continue a session (until March 25).
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PRAGUE - Developer Orco Property Group <
> to release 2010 results.Related news: [
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PRAGUE - Czech central bank governing board to meet on interest rates. An announcement is expected at 1200 GMT with a news conference to follow at 1330 GMT. Nineteen of 20 analysts in a Reuters poll expect no change.
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CENTRAL BANKERS' COMMENTS: Following are comments from Czech central bankers ahead of a policy meeting on Thursday expected to hold off on a rise in interest rates due to signs that demand-led pressures on inflation remain subdued.
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DEMAND STRONG FOR CZECH FLOATER:The Czech Finance Ministry sold the amount planned in an eighth auction of a floating rate bond as investors snatched up the relatively cheap paper, bidding more than three times the amount finally sold.
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CEZ DELAYS DUKOVANY UNIT 3 RESTART: Czech CEZ's <
> nuclear power plant at Dukovany will delay restarting its unit 3 until Friday afternoon due to further tests, a spokesman for the power plant said on Wednesday.Story: [
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CEE POWER: Czech day-ahead power prices dropped on Wednesday due to high solar power output while the longer end of the curve rose on higher coal prices and worries over the future of nuclear power in Europe, traders said.
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CEE MARKETS: Hungary's forint shed some early gains but stayed firmer on the day on Wednesday as the prospect of interest rate cuts receded, while the Czech crown was flat with investors eyeing a rate meeting on Thursday.
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SAZKA LIKELY TO FILE FOR REORGANISATION: Czech lottery firm Sazka will likely file for reorganisation following pressure for insolvency proceedings by creditors, Chief Executive Ales Husak said on Wednesday.
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] Related news: [ ] ---------------------- MARKET SNAPSHOT ------------------------ Index/Crown Currency Latest Prev Pct change Pct changeclose on day in 2011 vs Euro <EURCZK=> 24.383 24.402 0.08 2.47 vs Dollar <CZK=> 17.322 17.314 -0.05 7.21 Czech Equities <
> 1,225.5 1,225.5 0.48 0.06 U.S. Equities < > 12,086.02 12,018.63 0.56 4.39 Pvs close or current levels vs prior domestic close at 1500 GMT ==========================PRESS DIGEST=========================
SAZKA'S LICENCE TO BE REVOKED: Finance Ministry is going to launch proceedings on Thursday that will lead to revoking the national lottery operator Sazka's lottery licence, the daily reported citing an unnamed source. The process takes 30-60 days.
Hospodarske Noviny, page 17
INVETORS SELLS CEZ: U.S. company Capital Research and Management sold its entire 3 percent stake in Czech power group CEZ <
>, probably on March 16. The company was CEZ's fourth largest investor after the government, Unicredit <CRDI.MI> and Citibank Europe <C.N>.Hospodarske Noviny, page 22
TOYOTA-PEUGEOT CZECH VENTURE SEES PROFIT FALL: Toyota Motor <7203.T> and PSA Peugeot-Citroen <PEUP.PA> joint venture in the Czech Republic saw its profit drop to 1.4 billion crowns last year. It expects this year's production to stay the same as last year or be slightly lower.
Hospodarske Noviny, page 18
Reuters has not verified the media reports, nor does it vouch for their accuracy.
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