Slovak crown off-highs on profit-taking, region

    BRATISLAVA, Nov 22 (Reuters) - The Slovak crown retreated on 
Wednesday as investors took profits after a steady rise over the 
past week but dealers said the drop would be limited and that 
the currency would be range bound in the weeks ahead. 
    The crown was at 35.670 to the euro at 1615 GMT, compared 
with an all-time high of 35.495 seen on Tuesday. It was also 
weaker from Tuesday's close at 35.530 per euro. 
    The crown had firmed by around 2.9 percent against the euro 
in the past month as investors boosted their central European 
holdings and the release of data showing robust 9.8 percent GDP 
growth for the third quarter. 
    "Foreign banks were booking profits," one foreign bank 
dealer said. "The trend will depend on the regional mood. Until 
the region calms the crown won't firm." 
    The Polish zloty and Hungarian forint also eased on 
Wednesday too. 
    Dealers said the currency was likely to float between 35.500 
and 36.000 per euro in the coming weeks and follow the swings of 
its bigger regional peers due lack of domestic impulses. 
    The crown is now trading 7.8 percent above its central 
parity within the Exchange Rate Mechanism 2 (ERM 2), which 
Slovakia joined in late November 2005. 
----------------MARKET SNAPSHOT AT 1615 GMT------------------- 
Crown/Euro <EURSKK=> 35.670 vs 35.530 on Tuesday (-0.41 pct) 
Crown/Dollar <SKK=>  27.557 vs 27.815 (+0.51 pct) 
5-yr govt bond <SK5YT=RR> yield 4.374/176 vs 4.424/4.226 pct 
8-yr govt bond <SK8YT=RR> yield 4.309/109 vs 4.309/4.108 pct 
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 ((Reporting by Martin Santa, editing by Ron Askew; Reuters 
Messaging: martin.santa.reuters.com@reuters.net; +421 5341 
8402)) 
  Keywords: MARKETS SLOVAKIA CROWN CLOSE