Czech crown leads regional currency gains as inflation ticks up
BUDAPEST, Aug 12 (Reuters) -Central European currencies firmed on Monday, with the Czech crown leading gains as investors digested inflation data which came in above expectations, cementing bets the Czech central bank will keep monetary policy unchanged.
Czech inflation ticked up, topping forecasts in July at 2.2%, underpinning expectations that the central bank, which next meets on Sept. 25, will hold its key policy rate steady at 4.65% to keep inflation on target.
The Czech crown EURCZK= firmed 0.3%, leading gains in the region, trading at 25.17 per euro.
"EUR/CZK moved earlier and although market pricing is also on the dovish side here, inflation numbers may add a reason to stay bullish on the CZK," ING said in a note.
Elsewhere in the region the Polish zloty EURPLN= traded at 4.31 per euro by 0800 GMT, with investors waiting for gross domestic product data due on Wednesday that could confirm expectations of a cooling economy and easing inflation, bringing rate cuts earlier by as much as six months, analysts said.
"We will get to know a rather weak GDP reading from Q2 2024, which will confirm the markets in the belief that the MPC (Monetary Policy Council) does not have to worry about inflationary pressure and will lower rates earlier than the NBP (National Bank of Poland)... recently suggested, i.e. in mid-2025 and not at the beginning of 2026," Bank Pekao SA said in a note.
The National Bank of Poland has kept its main interest rate at 5.75% since October 2023.
Inflation in Poland peaked at 18.4% during the early spring of 2023, and stood at 4.2% in July.
Hungary's forint EURHUF= continued to firm after paring some of its losses last week, gaining 0.2% on the day to trade at 393.35 versus the euro.
"HUF rallied over the last two days, and we could potentially see more room in the coming days for EUR/HUF heading lower closer to 390," ING said in a note.
ING also said that the weakening of the dollar against the euro would be supportive for the region's currencies.
CEE MARKETS | SNAPSHOT | AT 1000 CET | ||||
CURRENCIES | ||||||
Latest | Previous | Daily | Change | |||
trade | close | change | in 2024 | |||
EURCZK= | Czech crown | EURCZK= | 25.1700 | 25.2480 | +0.31% | -1.86% |
EURHUF= | Hungary forint | EURHUF= | 393.3500 | 394.2000 | +0.22% | -2.58% |
EURPLN= | Polish zloty | EURPLN= | 4.3125 | 4.3200 | +0.17% | +0.74% |
EURRON= | Romanian leu | EURRON= | 4.9755 | 4.9772 | +0.03% | -0.02% |
EURRSD= | Serbian dinar | EURRSD= | 116.9000 | 117.0000 | +0.09% | +0.30% |
Note: daily change | calculated from | 1800 CET | ||||
Latest | Previous | Daily | Change | |||
close | change | in 2024 | ||||
.PX | Prague | .PX | 1555.19 | 1554.7500 | +0.03% | +9.98% |
.BUX | Budapest | .BUX | 72059.85 | 72028.77 | +0.04% | +18.87% |
.WIG20 | Warsaw | .WIG20 | 2292.98 | 2258.52 | +1.53% | -2.13% |
.BETI | Bucharest | .BETI | 17954.16 | 17818.68 | +0.76% | +16.80% |
Spread | Daily | |||||
vs Bund | change in | |||||
Czech Republic | spread | |||||
CZ2YT=RR | 2-year | CZ2YT=RR | 3.5130 | 0.0550 | +112bps | +4bps |
CZ5YT=RR | 5-year | CZ5YT=RR | 3.5440 | 0.0330 | +140bps | +2bps |
CZ10YT=RR | 10-year | CZ10YT=RR | 3.8030 | 0.0660 | +157bps | +5bps |
Poland | ||||||
PL2YT=RR | 2-year | PL2YT=RR | 4.8910 | 0.0490 | +250bps | +4bps |
PL5YT=RR | 5-year | PL5YT=RR | 5.0780 | 0.0240 | +294bps | +1bps |
PL10YT=RR | 10-year | PL10YT=RR | 5.3040 | 0.0510 | +307bps | +4bps |
FORWARD RATE AGREEMENTS | ||||||
3x6 | 6x9 | 9x12 | 3M interbank | |||
Czech Rep | CZKFRAPRIBOR= | 3.88 | 3.50 | 3.24 | 4.42 | |
Hungary | HUFFRABUBOR= | 6.82 | 6.35 | 5.97 | 6.55 | |
Poland | PLNFRAWIBOR= | 5.72 | 5.41 | 4.97 | 5.86 | |
Note: FRA quotes | are for ask prices | |||||
************************************************************** | ||||||
Reporting by Boldizsar Gyori in Budapest, and Pawel Florkiewicz in Warsaw; Editing by Emelia Sithole-Matarise
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