Industrial producer prices rose 0.4 percent in January from the previous month, following a 0.2 percent decline in December. Prices were 4.2 percent higher than in January 2000, the lowest annual rate since April, after a 5 percent rate in December. While utility prices rose because of increases of state-regulated prices of electricity and gas for wholesale customers, prices in manufacturing fell because of a 10 percent decline in the refining and coking industry, the result of falling world oil prices.
If parliamentary elections had been held at the end of January the Quad Coalition would have received about one third of the vote and come first, according to a poll carried out by the Sofres-Factum polling agency.
Retail sales figures in December 2000 wil be released today by the Czech Statistical Office (our forecast: 4.0%) as well as construction figures for December 2000 (our forecast: 4.0%).
The Czech koruna firmed early on Tuesday, then stayed in a narrow range as the market waited for the effect of U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan's speech before the Senate Banking Committee.
The state 6.40/10 bond firmed 33 basis points to 99.03/33 from late Monday, yielding 6.54/50 percent. State 6.75/05 up 17 points at 102.87/17, yielding 5.92/84.
(David Marek)