Turkey - Factors to Watch on March 7

ISTANBUL, March 7 (Reuters) - Here are news, reports and events that may affect Turkish financial markets on Thursday.

The lira stood at 1.7970 against the dollar by 0625 GMT, easing from 1.7944 late on Wednesday.

The main share index rose 1.39 percent to 82,173, compared with a 0.62 percent rise in the global emerging-markets index.

The yield on the two-year benchmark bond closed virtually flat at 5.74 percent from a previous 5.76 percent.

GLOBAL MARKETS

Shares in Asian markets fell after two strong days of gains as investors focused on meetings of the central banks of Japan, Britain and the euro zone for signs of more policy stimulus. Solid U.S. economic data underpinned the dollar.

U.S. crude was steady at $90.43 a barrel, and Brent eased 0.1 percent to $110.96. Spot gold fell 0.1 percent to $1,581.16 an ounce as signs of improvement in the U.S. jobs markets weighed on safe-haven demand.

CASH BALANCE

The Treasury will announced its February cash balance .

SABANCI HOLDING

The conglomerate is expected to release its fourth-quarter earnings on Thursday.

PETKIM

The petrochemicals firm posted a 83 percent fall in 2012 net profit, which was 17.4 million lira, despite a 12 percent rise in sales to 4.35 billion lira, a balance sheet showed late on Wednesday.

SISECAM

Turkey's largest glass producer saw its profit fall 53 percent to 294 million lira in 2012 on sales that rose 7.3 percent to 5.34 billion lira, its income statement, released late on Wednesday, showed.

ULKER

The foodmaker posted 2012 net profit of 167 million lira, a 75 percent contraction from 2011, according to its income statement released late on Wednesday. Sales rose 31 percent to 2.34 billion lira.

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Istanbul National-100 stock index, interbank lira trading, lira bond trading (Writing by Ayla Jean Yackley)