Slovak crown jumps to 5-mo high, sentiment bullish

    BRATISLAVA, Oct 3 (Reuters) - The Slovak crown <EURSKK=> hit 
a 5-month high against the euro on Tuesday as London-based 
investors boosted positions in the crown, traders said. 
    The crown traded at 37.205 to the euro as of 1445 GMT, up 
0.46 percent from 37.375 late on Monday. 
    The crown had been locked in a well-protected range of 
37.300-37.500 per euro as political turmoil in Poland, Hungary 
and Czech Republic prevented it from moving either direction. 
    But dealers said strong economic fundamentals and prospects 
of higher interest rates have emboldened investors to increase 
their positions. 
    "The crown is likely to withstand political jitters 
neighbouring countries in the coming months, and that could open 
room for further firming," said VUB Bank dealer Laco Benedek. 
    Slovakia's economy grew at one of Europe's fastest rates in 
the second quarter at 6.6 percent. 
    The central bank last week surprised with a 25 basis point 
interest rate hike, and dealers said inflation risks highlighted 
the need for more policy tightening in the coming months. 
----------------MARKET SNAPSHOT AT 1445 GMT------------------- 
Crown/Euro <EURSKK=> 37.205 vs 37.375 (+0.46 pct) on Monday 
Crown/Dollar <SKK=>  29.223 vs 29.320 (+0.33) 
5-yr govt bond <SK5YT=RR> yield 4.680/4.469 vs 4.709/4.411 
9-yr govt bond <SK9YT=RR> yield 4.470/4.270 vs 4.558/4.357 
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 ((Reporting by Martin Santa, editing by  ; 
martin.santa@reuters.com; Reuters Messaging: 
martin.santa.reuters.com@reuters.net; +421-2 5341 8402)) 
 
  Keywords: MARKETS SLOVAKIA CROWN CLOSE