CEE MARKETS-Weaker dollar lifts CEE currencies, Czech inflation helps

WARSAW, July 13 (Reuters) - Emerging Europe's currencies firmed slightly on Thursday holding onto this week's gains, buoyed by a weaker dollar and reassured by easing Czech inflation. Pressure on the dollar continued as traders took surprisingly slow U.S. inflation as a signal U.S. interest rate rises will be all but finished by month's end and investors turned to riskier assets. Czech headline inflation meanwhile eased below 10% in June for the first time since the start of 2022, broadly in line with expectations, data showed on Thursday, as the country became the first in central Europe to get price growth back down to single digits. By 0945 GMT, the Czech crown was up 0.1% at 23.77 per euro. "The overall trend is supported by softer dollar against euro," Generali Investments analyst Jakub Kratky said. "The Czech inflation reading likely helped the crown to firm... It could be influenced by the fact that there was no surprise, so markets are likely calmer," he added. He also pointed to recent comments as suggesting interest rates would remain stable at their peak level for longer. A Prague-based currency dealer called the market's mood generally "risk on" and expected the crown to continue in "a sort of summer range-trading". The Hungarian forint firmed 0.2% at 375 per euro. Hungary has three, five and 10-year bond auctions scheduled for later in the day. A Budapest-based bond trader said local factors were driving the "Hungarian story". "The budget, the EUR/HUF exchange rate, the latest legislation of the government nudging portfolios to shore up with Hungarian bonds are far more important now." "Czech inflation boosts sentiment for the region," the Budapest-based trader added. Meanwhile, the Polish zloty held largely flat at 4.4425 per euro, off of a nearly three-year high of 4.4160 hit last week. According to ING Bank Slaski economists, the zloty's appreciation was running its course, with a weaker likelihood of it falling significantly below 4.40 per euro. Elsewhere, the Romanian leu hit a two-month high at 4.9420 per euro. CEE SNAPSHOT AT MARKETS 1145 CET CURRENCI ES Latest Previous Daily Change bid close change in 2023 Czech 23.7700 23.7860 +0.07% +1.63% crown Hungary 375.0000 375.6500 +0.17% +6.52% forint Polish 4.4425 4.4405 -0.05% +5.56% zloty Romanian 4.9425 4.9475 +0.10% +0.00% leu Serbian 117.1900 117.2450 +0.05% +0.09% dinar Note: calculated from 1800 CET daily change Latest Previous Daily Change close change in 2023 Prague 1298.98 1299.310 -0.03% +8.09% 0 Budapest 51572.23 51376.25 +0.38% +17.76% Warsaw 2118.48 2114.50 +0.19% +18.22% Bucharest 12998.79 12997.20 +0.01% +11.45% Spread Daily vs Bund change in Czech spread Republic 2-year 5-year 10-year Poland 2-year 5-year 10-year FORWARD 3x6 6x9 9x12 3M interban k Czech Rep < 6.91 6.14 5.25 7.13 PRIBOR=> Hungary < 13.55 11.29 9.91 15.14 BUBOR=> Poland < 6.11 5.44 4.99 6.85 WIBOR=> Note: FRA are for ask prices quotes ************************************************** ************ (Reporting by Karol Badohal in Warsaw, Robert Muller in Prague and Boldizsar Gyori in Budapest; Editing by Shilpi Majumdar)