PRAGUE, Aug 4 (Reuters) - Central European currencies

eased a touch on Monday but clung to higher ground after a

weaker U.S. dollar gave them a lift late last week, while

investors awaited inflation data and central bank meetings in

the region in the coming days.

With Czech monetary policymakers widely expected to hold

interest rates steady on Thursday for a second straight meeting,

markets will be looking for any clues over whether the central

bank's easing cycle is at or near an end.

Analysts in a Reuters poll last week saw scope for another

Czech interest rate cut later this year, although markets have

priced out the chances.

Preliminary Czech July inflation data is due on Tuesday,

with expectations that the rate will remain at the upper end of

the bank's 1-percentage-point tolerance band around its 2%

target.

The crown hit its strongest level against the euro toward

the end of July, at 24.53, and has hovered near that mark since.

It traded 0.1% lower from Friday's local close, at

24.594 to the euro in early trade on Monday.

Analysts at bank CSOB said investors will judge the degree

of "hawkishness" from the central bank later this week, on the

heels of last month's inflation reading.

"While a slight undershooting of inflation compared to the

market view might have a negative impact on the crown, strong

hawkish rhetoric should at a minimum balance this out," CSOB

said.

"Developments on global markets, mainly continued losses for

the dollar, will also be important and may boost the crown in

the short term," it added.

The dollar steadied somewhat on Monday after a dismal U.S.

jobs report and President Donald Trump's firing of a top labour

official stunned investors late last week, and led them to ramp

up bets of imminent Federal Reserve rate cuts.

Other currencies in central Europe stayed close to highs,

with the Hungarian forint down 0.1% at 398.35 per

euro, at around 10-month highs against central Europe's main

reference currency. Hungarian inflation data is due on Friday.

The Polish zloty also traded lower at 4.2735 to

the euro, hovering around the middle of its range seen in recent

months.

Romania's leu edged slightly lower to 5.073 per

euro, with a central bank meeting at the end of week expected to

result in unchanged rates.

Preliminary Polish inflation data last week showed price

growth was higher than expected in July, but back in the central

bank's target range, boosting expectations for another interest

rate cut in September.

Bank Millennium analysts said for now, the dollar would be

the driving force supporting the zloty.

"Although a significant move in the EUR/USD exchange rate

already occurred on Friday, its continuation - albeit on a

smaller scale - is possible today," they said in a note.

CEE MARKETS SNAPSHOT AT 1032 CET

CURRENCIES Latest Previou Daily Change

trade s close change in 2025

Czech 0

Hungary 00 0

Polish Romania Serbian 00 0 %

Note: daily change calculated from 1800 CET

STOCKS Latest Previou Daily Change

s close change in 2025

Prague 2238.4 2215.47 +1.04 +27.17

7 00 % %

Budapes 101393 100518. +0.87 +27.82

t .96 47 % %

Warsaw 3 %

Buchare 20181. 20136.6 +0.22 +20.70

st 38 1 % %

BONDS Yield Yield Spread Daily

(bid) change vs change

Bund in

spread

Czech ps

2-year

Czech ps

5-year

Czech ps

10-year

Poland ps

Poland ps

Poland ps

FORWARD RATE 3x6 6x9 9x12 3M

AGREEMENTS interba

nk

Czech Poland Note: FRA quotes are for ask prices