Central European shares dropped, led by OMV AG, the region's biggest energy company, after crude oil fell. Bank Pekao SA and KGHM Polska Miedz SA also retreated, Bloomberg reported.

The NTX Index of 30 companies in the region dropped 0.2 percent to 1,654.56 at 1:38 p.m. in Vienna as 20 stocks declined and 10 rose.

The Czech PX Index lost 0.3 percent, Austria's ATX Index slid 0.4 percent and Poland's WIG20 Index declined 0.7 percent. Hungary's BUX Index retreated 1.1 percent.

OMV, Austria's biggest oil and gas company, slid 2.2 percent to 44.50 euros, while Orlen, the biggest Polish refiner, fell 1.2 percent to 41.5 zloty. Crude oil futures declined on forecasts U.S. inventories rose for a second week amid mounting concerns of an economic slowdown in the world's biggest energy user.

Pekao retreated 2.5 percent to 182.3 zloty. Citigroup Inc. analyst Simon Nellis in London reduced his 12-month share-price estimate for Poland's biggest lender by 20 percent to 240 zloty, citing a worsened outlook for the bank's earnings.

KGHM, the copper producer with the highest European mining output, dropped 1.8 percent to 85.55 zloty. Copper for delivery in three months declined $50 to $6,970 a ton on the London Metal Exchange.

Budimex SA jumped 3.1 percent to 77.8 zloty. The second- largest Polish construction company said yesterday a group led by its unit and Strabag SE won a 1.76 billion-zloty ($710 million) road-construction contract, the biggest in Poland's history. The group also includes Warbud SA and Mostostal Warszawa SA.

Strabag, Austria's biggest builder, added 0.9 percent to 36.23 euros, while Mostostal Warszawa jumped 3.1 percent to 50 zloty.

The following shares also advanced or fell in central European markets. Stock symbols follow company names.

Bioton SA (BIO PW) increased 1.1 percent to 0.91 zloty. Poland's biggest biotechnology company met its goal of a 25- million-zloty operating profit in the fourth quarter, Chief Executive Officer Adam Wilczega said in an interview with Thomson Financial yesterday.

Prokom Software SA (PKM PW) jumped 5.2 percent to 113.6 zloty. Poland's largest software maker by sales received approval for a merger with Asseco Poland SA (ACP PW) from the country's antimonopoly office. Asseco rose 1 percent to 65.35 zloty.

SkyEurope Holding AG (SKY AV) advanced 1.2 percent to 1.66 euros. The Slovak low-cost carrier expects 2008 passenger numbers to grow by about a quarter, Chief Executive Officer Jason Bitter said. The airline maintains its earnings forecast for this year.

Voestalpine AG (VOE AV) climbed 2.3 percent to 42.74 euros. Austria's biggest steelmaker raised its full-year profit forecast on demand for its specialized steel products. Earnings before interest and tax will grow 30 percent to 35 percent this year, spokesman Peter Schiefer said today by telephone.