Czech Republic - Factors To Watch on April 2

                                
 PRAGUE, April 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 hour)

======================== 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 - The lower house of parliament to continue its
session.
                                
 Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-POL]
                                
 
                                
 PRAGUE - 13-week T-bill auction.
                                
 Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-DBT]
                                
 
                                
 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-CEN]
                                
 
                                
 PRAGUE - Czech President Vaclav Klaus to meet National Bank
of Poland (NBP) President Slawomir Skrzypek at 1130 GMT.
                                
 Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-DIP]
                                
 
                                
 PRAGUE - Conference "Economic Recession in the Czech
Republic" with Czech central bank (CNB) Governor Zdenek Tuma and
Industrial and Trade Minister Martin Riman at 1230 GMT.
                                
 Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-MCE]
                                
 
                                
 AMSTERDAM - Drug maker Zentiva <ZNTVsp.PR> to hold an
extraordinary shareholders' meeting.
                                
 Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-DRU]

===========================TOP NEWS===========================
                                
 AUCTION STRONG, SUPPLY COMING: The Czech Republic sold more
than offered in an auction of its 4.70 percent coupon, 15-year
bond on Wednesday and accelerated its borrowing plans, scooping
up funds despite higher yields.
                                
 Story: [ID:nL1181308] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-DBT]
                                
 
                                
 CEE DEBT UP: Central Europe's fiscally-stronger countries
Poland and the Czech Republic stepped up borrowing at auctions
on Wednesday, scooping up funds despite a jump in yields.
                                
 Story: [ID:nL1447386] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-GVD]
                                
 
                                
 CEE FX UP: Central European currencies rebounded on
Wednesday after successful debt auctions and also helped by
hopes that the leading economies of the world will act together
to find a way out of the global crisis.
                                
 Story: [ID:nL1137406] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-FRX]
                                
 
                                
 INDUSTRY DECLINE SLOWS: Manufacturing in two of central
Europe's most robust economies, Poland and the Czech Republic,
slowed its rate of contraction in March but still suffered a
steep drop, indicating economic decline was still in full swing.
                                
 Story: [ID:nL1301675] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-MCE]
                                
 
CBANK CHIEF SEES LIGHT: A light at the end of the tunnel may
be near for the economy, Czech central bank chief Zdenek Tuma
said on Wednesday.
                                
 Story: [ID:nPRG001354] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-MCE]
                                
 
                                
 DEFICIT NARROWS: The Czech central state budget showed a
2.35 billion crown ($113.9 million) deficit for January-March,
down from a 13.35 billion crown deficit a year ago, data showed
on Wednesday.
                                
 Story: [ID:nLV408990] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-GVD]
                                
 
                                
 CEZ STAKEHOLDER: UniCredit <CRDI.MI> holds a 9 percent stake
in Czech power group CEZ <CEZPsp.PR> on behalf of investors, its
Czech unit said on Wednesday. 
                                
 It added it had held the stake roughly flat over the past
year, although not consolidated under its name. There has been
media speculation some large investors may be building up a
stake.
                                
 Story: [ID:nL1621852] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-ELG]
                                
 
                                
 LESS VISAS: The Czech Republic has stopped  issuing working
visas for citizens of selected former Soviet Union and Asian
countries due to the impact of the global economic crisis, the
Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday.
                                
 Story: [ID:nL1345488] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-DIP]
                                
 
                                
 SLOVAKIA UPSETS CZECH REPUBLIC: Slovakia upset Czech
Republic 2-1 away in a Group Three qualifier on Wednesday to
increase their chances of reaching the World Cup finals for the
first time since the breakup of former Czechoslovakia in 1993.
                                
 Story: [ID:nL1636918] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-SOCC]

 ---------------------- MARKET SNAPSHOT ------------------------
 Index/Crown Currency  Latest    Prev    Pct change   Pct change
                                
                              close   on day       in 2009
 Czech Equities  <.PX>   755.2    755.2   +0.00          N/A 
 vs Euro     <EURCZK=>  26.970   26.970   +0.00         -0.67
 vs Dollar      <CZK=>  20.253   20.289   +0.04         -5.77
 U.S. Equities  <.DJI>   7,762    7,609   +2.01        -11.56
 Pvs close or current levels vs prior domestic close at 1600 GMT

===========================PRESS DIGEST=========================
                                
 PRESIDENT LIKELY TO RESPECT ELECTION DATE: President Vaclav
Klaus will likely respect the date set by political parties for
early elections, the president's office said.
                                
 Hospodarske Noviny, page 2
                                
 
                                
 EURO ADOPTION: Central bank Governor Zdenek Tuma said that
2013-2015 was the likely timeframe to adopt the euro.
                                
 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 Jason Hovet)