Hungary, Factors to watch, April 10

BUDAPEST, April 10 (Reuters) - Following is a list of events in Hungary and the region, as well as news stories and press reports which may influence financial markets.

The Hungarian press digest is at the end of this item.

(For any queries: Budapest editorial +361 327 4742)

WHAT IS HAPPENING IN HUNGARY ALL TIMES GMT

BUDAPEST - Finance Minister Janos Veres and OECD Deputy Secretary-General Aart de Geus to hold news conference about "OECD Hungary project", introduce OECD report "Reforms for Stability and Sustainable Growth" (0700)

BUDAPEST - Lease finance firm Merkantil Bank, a unit of OTP OTPB.BU, holds news conference (0900)

BUDAPEST - Government to auction 50 billion forints ($309.5 million) worth of five-year 2012/C bonds HUISSUE (0930)

IN THE REGION

BRATISLAVA - Central bank Vice-governor Martin Barto to attend a conference on healthcare financing.

BUCHAREST - Finance and Economy Minister Varujan Vosganian to attend financial seminar.

PITESTI, Romania - Trade unionists from carmaker Dacia owned by Renault stage rally.

SOFIA - The statistics office issues Feb industrial output and sales.

IN THE NEWS REUTERS

Hungary's forint firms, bonds flat ahead of auction Hungary's forint closed slightly firmer against the euro on Wednesday and dealers said that high-yielding currencies were consolidating globally after a firming early this month[nL09894182].

IN THE NEWS

ALL-DAY BKV STRIKE SET FOR APRIL 18

Employees of Budapest public transport company BKV have resolved to go on strike for the whole day on Friday, April 18, following unsuccessful talks on Wednesday.

The unions are reportedly no longer waiting to see whether the Finance Ministry will accept a request from the city for emergency funding of Ft 18.5 billion.

PM EXPLAINS HIS POSITION TO PRESIDENT

Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany confirmed to President Laszlo Solyom in the Sándor Palace Wednesday afternoon that the Socialists will govern in a minority if the Free Democrats cancel the coalition agreement at their April 27 party convention, Nepszava reports.

He added that the Free Democrats had promised to support the Socialists in certain areas after they quit the coalition, and that he believes some of the opposition could be persuaded to support specific bills in Parliament.

REFERENDUM SIGNATURES WILL BE PRESENTED TODAY

The Liga Union and various NGOs will submit 500,000 signatures in favour of a referendum against the privatisation of the health insurance system to the National Election Commission today.

MORE INSOLVENCIES

A growing number of Hungarian companies became insolvent in the first quarter, 21% more than in the same period of 2007, credit insurer Coface reported. Coface sees little hope of improvement in financial discipline this year.

Liquidations rose 14%, while the number of companies winding up operations rose 30%. This is one way of stripping the assets from insolvent companies, Coface added out. Most liquidations took place in Budapest, followed by Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg and Pest counties. Retail, construction and security companies are hardest hit by liquidation.

YAHOO BUYS HUNGARIAN SOFTWARE MAKER

US internet company Yahoo (YHOO.O) announced that it had agreed to buy Hungarian firm Tensa, known as IndexTools, a producer of web marketing analytics software.

The acquisition involves the takeover of IndexTools's internet analytics business and technology, as well as its subsidiary, Tensa R&D, Yahoo said in a press release. The financial details of the deal, to be closed by the first half of the year, were not revealed.

The acquisition will enable Yahoo to expand its online marketing tools. IndexTools also has offices in New York and Frankfurt.

(Source: taken from Nepszabadsag's Hungary Around the Clock service. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.)

(David Chance)