Czech crown steadies, mkt eyes November trade data

...foreign trade data which should indicate how durable the country's exports boom is.

The crown traded at 27.630 per euro at 1005 GMT, barely changed from Friday's domestic close and off an all-time high of 27.410 hit on Dec. 20 and matched early last week.

"Signs of composure from the region, and the prospect of fresh trade data tomorrow (Tuesday) should limit the upside from EUR/CZK. We expect a solid trade surplus close to consensus," said Lucy Bethell, strategist at The Royal Bank of Scotland.

Trade data due out at 9 a.m. (0800 GMT) are forecast to post a 3.8 billion crown monthly surplus in November, the best result for that month on record, according to a Reuters poll of analysts .

In November 2005, the surplus reached 2.48 billion crowns.

Robust exports of cars, computers and other manufacturing goods helped drive the crown 6 percent higher over last year, despite a yawning 100 basis point gap between Czech short-term interest rates and higher euro zone equivalents.

But the cumulative trade balance surplus has been offset by profit repatriations by foreign investors in the country, causing the current account deficit to widen and leading analysts and central bankers to predict some weakening in the crown.

----------------- MARKET SNAPSHOT AT 1003 GMT ----------------- Crown/euro last deals at 27.640 (-0.04 pct) Crown/dollar at 21.238 bid (+0.14 pct)

5-year yield due Oct 2010 3.31 pct bid 10-year yield due Jan 2016 3.72 pct bid

5-yr CZK/EUR mid yield spread -65 bps 10-yr CZK/EUR mid yield spread -26 bps

Current levels versus prior domestic close at 1500 GMT ---------------------------------------------------------------

[PRAGUE/Reuters/Finance.cz]