Czech Republic - Factors To Watch on Feb 18

                                
 PRAGUE, Feb 18 (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 + 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 ============================
                                
 C.BANKER ON INFLATION: Seminar "Inflation - short-term
deviation or medium-term threat" with Czech central Bank (CNB)
Vice-Governor Miroslav Singer (1600 GMT). 
                                
 Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-CEN]
                                
 
========================= TOP NEWS =============================
                                
 GDP JUMPS IN Q4: The Czech economy picked up speed at the
end of 2007, confounding expectations of a slowdown, but fiscal
tightening and weaker euro zone growth are expected to take
their toll this year.
                                
 Story: [ID:nL15409480] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-ECI]
                                
 
                                
 GDP GROWTH TO COOL DOWN: Czech economic growth peaked in
2007 and the country will see somewhat slower expansion in the
coming years, Finance Minister Miroslav Kalousek told Reuters on
Friday.
                                
 Story: [ID:nL15856299] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-ECI]
                                
 
                                
 FISCAL GAP: The Czech public sector deficit will drop to 1.5
percent of gross domestic product this year from 1.9 percent in
2007, the central bank said on Friday.
                                
 Story: [ID:nPRG000688] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-EMRG]
                                
 
                                
 KLAUS RE-ELECTED: The Czech parliament narrowly re-elected
right-winger Vaclav Klaus as the central European country's
president on Friday, averting a potential crisis in the ruling
coalition.
                                
 Story: [ID:nL15774434]     Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-POL]
                                
 Newsmaker: [ID:nL15359429] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-POL]
                                
 
                                
 RETAIL SALES: Czech retail sales rose 5.4 percent
year-on-year in December, after 5.9 percent in the previous
month, the Czech Statistical Bureau (CSU) said on Friday.
                                
 Story: [ID:nPRA001761] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-ECI]
                                
 
========================= ELSEWHERE IN NEWS ====================
                                
 TEMELIN SHUTDOWN: Czech nuclear power plant Temelin will
shut its Unit 1 for maintenance on Friday evening, its owner CEZ
<CEZPsp.PR> said.
                                
 Story [ID:nL15717979] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-ELG]
                                
 
                                
 OPINION POLL: Support for the Czech ruling right-wing Civic
Democrats (ODS) rose, narrowing their gap behind the leftist
opposition Social Democrats (CSSD), an opinion poll showed on
Friday.
                                
 Story: [ID:nL1577934] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-POL] 
                                
 
 ---------------------- MARKET SNAPSHOT ------------------------
 Index/Crown Currency  Latest    Prev    Pct change   Pct change
                                
                              close   on day       in 2008
 Czech Equities  <.PX> 1,541.7  1,572.3   -1.95        -15.06
 vs Euro     <EURCZK=>  25.220   25.220   +0.00         +5.08
 vs Dollar      <CZK=>  17.164   17.137   -0.08         +5.95
 U.S. Equities  <.DJI>  12,348   12,377   -0.23         -6.91
 Pvs close or current levels vs prior domestic close at 1500
                                
 
                                
(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: Martin Dokoupil on +420 224 190 477;
fax: +420 224 229 935
                                
 E-mail: prague.newsroom@reuters.com
                                
 Reuters Messaging: martin.dokoupil.reuters.com@reuters.net

 (Reporting by Martin Dokoupil)