Slovak crown softer, mkt eyes cbank for impulse

    BRATISLAVA, Nov 24 (Reuters) - The Slovak crown eased 
against the euro on softer emerging markets on Friday, as 
dealers waited for a new impetus from a central bank rate 
decision due next week. 
    The crown ended at 35.680 to the euro, slightly firmer from 
levels early in the session but down from Thursday's 35.645. 
    Bigger neighbouring currencies, the Polish zloty, Hungarian 
forint and Czech crown, were also down as investors booked 
profits from gains in recent weeks. 
    The crown is still 2.3 percent stronger than a month ago, 
and market watchers said it would be driven mainly by capital 
flows in the region until the rate-setting meeting on Tuesday. 
    The majority of analysts in a Reuters poll expected the 
central bank to keep the key two-week repo rate unchanged at 
4.75 percent in November. 
    They said the rising crown helps the central bank tame 
inflation pressures, and that it would probably wait for details 
of the record 9.8 percent GDP growth in the third quarter before 
raising rates. It has increased the official cost of money four 
times so far this year. 
    "We now see a greater chance of a rate hike delay, although 
we would not rule out a 25 basis point rate hike completely," 
Slovenska Sporitelna analyst Maria Valachyova said in a report. 
    "Should there be an interest rate hike next week, the crown 
might get additional support," Valachyova said. 
----------------MARKET SNAPSHOT AT 1545 GMT------------------- 
Crown/Euro <EURSKK=> 35.680 vs 35.645 on Thursday  
Crown/Dollar <SKK=>  27.250 vs 27.513 
3-yr govt bond <SK5YT=RR> yield unchanged at 4.374/4.176 pct 
8-yr govt bond <SK8YT=RR> yield 4.357/158 vs 4.357/157 pct 
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  ((Reporting by Peter Laca, editing by Gerrard Raven; Reuters 
Messaging: peter.laca.reuters.com@reuters.net; +40 21 315 8320)) 
  Keywords: MARKETS SLOVAKIA CROWN CLOSE