By Anita Komuves

BUDAPEST, June 25 (Reuters) - The Czech crown led gains

in central Europe on Tuesday, extending a rise from the previous

session following steep losses last week, when the crown fell to

a six-week low as a risk-off sentiment weighed on emerging

markets.

The crown added 0.28% versus the euro and was

trading at 24.815 as investors were looking ahead to the rate

meeting of the Czech National Bank (CNB) scheduled for Thursday.

Markets expect another rate cut from the bank but

uncertainty around the size of the CBN's move could put pressure

on the crown, analysts have said. The bank has cut its key rate

by 50 basis points at each of its past three meetings, part of a

175-bp easing cycle started in December. Analysts see the bank

opting now for a 25-bp cut.

Meanwhile, the Hungarian forint firmed 0.11% at

394.80 per euro.

"A bit of positive mood returned to the region, currencies

are stronger after their big weakening last week," an FX trader

in Budapest said.

"However, I expect risk aversion to return as we get closer

to the French election at the weekend, so this firming can only

be considered a correction," she said.

Market participants turned risk-averse as the snap election

in France, in which the far right National Rally (RN) party and

its allies were leading polls, added to global political

uncertainties, traders and analysts have said.

Elsewhere, the Polish zloty edged up 0.05% at

4.2935 versus the common currency.

Risk aversion prompted by the French election was expected

to keep the zloty under pressure this week, but it was unlikely

to significantly weaken the zloty's rate, Bank Millennium wrote

in a note.

"Political risk will most likely not allow the zloty to

simply return to the levels at the turn of May and June, i.e.

around 4.27," it said.

CEE SNAPSHOT AT

MARKETS 1018

CET

CURRENCI

ES

Latest Previo Daily Change

us

trade close change in

2024

Czech 0 %

Hungary 00 %

Polish % %

Romania %

Serbian 00 % %

Note: calculated from 1800

daily CET

change

Latest Previo Daily Change

us

close change in

2024

Prague 1533.37 1536.6 -0.21% +8.44

400 %

Budapes 70314.40 70373. -0.08% +15.9

t 63 9%

Warsaw 2558.78 2542.4 +0.64 +9.21

2 % %

Buchare 18213.98 18234. -0.11% +18.4

st 81 9%

Spread Daily

vs change

Bund in

Czech spread

Republi

c

0 ps

0 ps

0 ps

Poland

0 ps

0 ps

0 ps

FORWARD

3x6 6x9 9x12 3M

interb

ank

Czech 4.60 4.25 4.06 5.00

Rep Hungary 7.22 6.97 6.71 6.89

Poland 5.80 5.63 5.29 5.85

Note: are for ask prices

FRA

quotes

*******************************************

*******************

(Additional reporting by Pawel Florkiewicz in Warsaw; Editing

by Mrigank Dhaniwala)