(Adds Bulgaria)
WARSAW, June 20 (Reuters) - Here are news stories, press reports and events to watch which may affect Central/Eastern Europe's financial markets on Friday.
KREMIKOVTZI
Indian steel maker Essar Steel Ltd renews interest in the Bulgaria's largest steel mill Kremikovtzi <KMKV.BB> and will meet the plant's trade unions on Friday. Arcelor Mittal <ISPA.AS><MTP.PA> and Ukrainian billionaire Kostyantin Zhevago are also competing for the ailing plant, writes Dnevnik.
ZENTIVA
Zentiva <
> recommends shareholders reject PPF takeover offer because it does not reflect undrelying value and prospects. It does not discuss a counter offer by Sanofi <SASY.PA> in the statement. [ ]
AGORA
Shareholders of media group Agora <AGOD.WA> scheduled to vote on proposals by its largest shareholder to gain representation on its board and hold a share buyback. BZ WBK AIB Asset management also seeks a higher than proposed dividend payout to put a stop to an Internet shopping spree.
For more news on Agora double click [
]
UNIPETROL
Czech oil processor Unipetrol <
> is eyeing more than a 16 percent stake in Ceska Rafinerska in which it holds a majority, Hospodarske Noviny reports. The stake, currently controlled by Royal Dutch Shell <RDSa.L>, is reportedly for sale.According to analyst estimates, Unipetrol may pay out a dividend of 15 crowns per share, writes E15.
MOL, CEZ
Hungarian oil and gas group MOL <MOLB.BU> and Czech utility CEZ <
> get competition clearance to create a joint venture to invest in gas-fired power plants in central and southeast Europe. [ ]For more news on CEZ and MOL double click [
]
CEZ
An opposition MP will submit a proposal next week to unblock construction of two new reactors in CEZ's nuclear plant Temelin, E15 writes.
Concorde Securities raises CEZ target price to 1,595 Czech crows.
PETROM
Romania has renewed threats to review the privatisation contract of oil company Petrom <SNPP.BX> in a pricing row that has cast a shadow over its sale to Austria's OMV <OMVV.VI> in 2004. [
]
TRANSGAZ
Romania plans to sell up to 5 percent more of gas pipeline operator Transgaz on the Bucharest bourse as part of its property restitution scheme, a government member says.
[
]
TRANSELECTRICA
Romanian state-owned power grid operator Transelectrica <TSEL.BX> will pay on June 25 an annual gross dividend of 0.36 lei ($0.153) per share, Ziarul Financiar reports.
The firm, which estimates a gross profit of 90 million lei this year, paid a dividend of 1.47 lei per share in 2007.
BUDAPEST BOURSE
The Board of the Budapest Stock Exchange (BSE) has not elected a replacement for chairman Attila Szalay-Berzeviczy, who resigned earlier this week.
ENEA
Polish power group Enea is seeking to drum up interest among foreign investors for its initial public offering scheduled for July that is expected to be valued at as much as 3 billion zlotys ($1.38 billion), Parkiet writes.
COAL POWER IN ROMANIA
Romanian coal fired power plants will push electricity prices higher as they overshoot their carbon emission quotas this year, an official from energy price regulator ANRE tells Business Standard.
EUROPEAN MARKETS
European shares were expected to open higher on Friday, supported by a cooling in oil prices, but with little diaried on the corporate and macroeconomic fronts.
Financial spreadbetters expected Britain's FTSE 100 <
> to open up 10 to 16 points, Germany's DAX < > up 24 to 33 points and France's CAC < > up 21 to 25 points.For the latest news on European markets, double click [
]
WALL STREET
U.S. stocks rose on Thursday as a drop in oil prices fueled investor optimism about consumer spending, driving shares of transportation and retailers sharply higher.
For latest Wall Street news, double click [
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