Slovak crown dips as region weakens, eyes GDP

    The Slovak crown dipped 
against the euro on Monday following the regional trend as the 
market awaited Tuesday's release of the fourth quarter GDP flash 
estimate. 
    The currency traded as low as 34.740 per euro compared to 
34.580 late on Friday, but recovered later in the session to 
34.670 to the euro  by 1600 GMT. 
    "The market is waiting for the GDP data release," said Tatra 
Banka dealer Boris Somorovsky. "If it comes in above 
expectations, the crown could firm towards 34.450-500 per euro." 
    Analysts polled by Reuters forecast real gross domestic 
product (GDP) growth for the quarter at 8.1 percent compared 
with a record 9.8 percent rise seen in the third quarter. 
    The central bank, which lifted the key two-week repo rate 
last year to 4.75 percent to curb inflation and safeguard the 
country's aim to adopt the euro in 2009, has said the hot 
economic growth is not creating inflation pressures. 
    The Statistics Office will publish the headline GDP figure 
at 9 a.m. (0800 GMT) on Tuesday, but more detailed information 
on the economy will be released only on March 6. 
------------------ MARKET SNAPSHOT AT 1600 GMT ----------------- 
Crown/euro  34.670 vs 34.580 on Friday (-0.25 pct) 
Crown/dollar   26.751 vs 26.599 (-0.57 pct) 
5-yr govt bond  yield 4.295/4.090 vs 4.300/3.901 pct 
7-yr govt bond  yield 4.350/150 vs 4.647/149 pct 
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[BRATISLAVA/Reuters/Finance.cz]