1.   Among the large Czech companies expected to tap international financial markets soon are utility CEZ AS, Komercni Banka AS and phone company SPT Telecom AS.

2.   At the same time, productivity at Czech companies has not improved as much as it has in neighboring Hungary and Poland.

3.   At the same time, the rates are depressing earnings at Czech companies, which mainly depend on short-term loans for their operations.

4.   Because many Czech companies depend mainly on short-term bank loans to finance operations, higher interest rates make borrowing costly.

5.   All of which leaves Czech companies at a competitive disadvantage.

6.   Cimex AS, a Czech company, was the only other bidder.

7.   Columnists offer a jaundiced take on the supposed advantages of being audited by a Big Five firm under international accounting standards, as most large Czech companies now are.

8.   Cofinec also owns Hungarian packaging company Petofi Nyomda Rt. and a stake in Czech packaging company Krpaco AS.

9.   Czech insurance company Ceska Pojistovna last weekend appointed a new board chairman to the bank, but bank officials said the appointment was not legitimate.

10.   Czech engineering company Skoda Plzen, which recently acquired two Czech truckmakers, also is interested, according to local press reports.