Czech Republic - Factors To Watch on July 2

                                
 PRAGUE, July 2 (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 + 2 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 CEE currencies.............................[CEE/]
 
=========================EVENTS=================================
                                
 PRAGUE - Czech central bank governing board to hold a
regular weekly meeting. It is not scheduled to discuss monetary
policy issues.
                                
 Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-PLCY]
                                
 
=========================TOP NEWS===============================
                                
 CZECH REAL ESTATE: Investment into Czech commercial real
estate nearly froze in the first half of this year with overall
transaction volume falling by 87 percent from the previous six
months, agent CB Richard Ellis said.
                                
 Story: [ID:nL1593094] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-REA]
                                
 
                                
 CROWN TAMES CRISIS: The Czech crown currency rate is
assisting the economy as it is substantially below record highs
last year and close to levels seen in late 2008, central bank
chief Zdenek Tuma said.
                                
 Story: [ID:nL1108866] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-FRX]
                                
 
                                
 CEE FX UP: The Polish zloty jumped on Wednesday as central
Europe's currencies extended a rally bolstered by rising PMI
levels in the region and hopes the global economy was at a
turning point.
                                
 Story: [ID:nL1591087] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-FRX]
                                
 
                                
 INTERNATIONAL POWER: British utility International Power
<IPR.L> is selling its Czech business to the Czech-Slovak
investment firm J&T Group for 581 million pounds ($955 million)
after costs, helping calm worries over its debt.
                                
 Story: [ID:nNL1476133] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-ENG]
                                
 
                                
 CZECH COAL VS IPR: Czech mining and electricity trading
group Czech Coal said on Wednesday it would challenge the sale
of International Power's <IPR.L> Czech assets to local groups
J&T and CEZ <CEZPsp.PR>. 
                                
 Story: [ID:nPRG001497] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-MRG]
                                
 
                                
 EMERGING MARKETS: Emerging assets firmed on Wednesday on a
deepening conviction that the global economy has bottomed out
but Russian equities sank on the threat of rising corporate loan
defaults in the country.
                                
 Story: [ID:nL192561] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-CEEU]
======================RESEARCH NOTE==========================
 
                                
 NWR: Morgan Stanley raised price target for New World
Resources <NWRSsp.PR> <NWRS.L> to 2.90 pounds from 2.75 pounds,
rating equal-weight
                                
 Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-RCH]
 ---------------------- MARKET SNAPSHOT ------------------------
 Index/Crown Currency  Latest    Prev    Pct change   Pct change
                                
                              close   on day       in 2008
 vs Euro     <EURCZK=>  25.765   25.700   -0.25         +2.85
 vs Dollar      <CZK=>  18.224   18.172   -0.29         -0.30
 U.S. Equities  <.DJI>  08,504   08,447   +0.68        -35.89
 Pvs close or current levels vs prior domestic close at 1500
=========================PRESS DIGEST===========================
                                
 BUDGET: The central state budget gap this year may exceed
150 billion crowns ($8.24 billion), Prime Minister Jan Fischer
said.
                                
 Mlada Fronta Dnes, B2
                                
 
                                
 POWER PRICES: Retail energy prices will likely drop next
year, CEZ <CEZPsp.PR> chief executive Martin Roman said. He said
sales in the Czech Republic were falling and CEZ could see the
impact next year.
                                
 Mlada Fronta Dnes, A9
                                
 
                                
 MEDIA: Central European Media Enterprises <CETV.O>
<CETVsp.PR> expects to turn profitable in 2011 thanks to higher
spending by companies on TV advertising, chief executive Adrian
Sarbu said.
                                
 Hospodarske Noviny, page 19
  
                                
 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 +420 224 190 474;
fax: +420 224 229 935
                                
 E-mail: prague.newsroom@reuters.com
  (Compiled by Jana Mlcochova)