CEE Morning Briefing: Prague Summit, Hungarian Inflation Eyed

By Veronika Gulyas and Leos Rousek

 
TODAY'S CALENDAR 
Local/GMT 
0900/0800 Hungary November CPI 
1130/1030 Hungary government 
          bond auction 
 all/day  Meeting of CEE 
          presidents in Prague 
 

Central European presidents will meet in Prague on Thursday, while in Hungary inflation data and a debt auction are scheduled.

Leaders from the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia and Austria will gather in Prague to discuss transport infrastructure projects in the region. Talks are likely to focus on upgrading rail links across the six countries, including prospects for high-speed train corridors.

Analysts expect Hungarian consumer prices to have fallen in November by 0.2% on monthly basis and 0.5% in annual terms, driven by the government's cuts to household utility prices. This follows monthly and annual declines of 0.3% and 0.4%, respectively, in the previous month.

Even though the fall in prices is largely concentrated in the regulated energy sector, the headline CPI figure may still fuel expectations for possible interest rate cuts by the Hungarian central bank. The bank's medium-term inflation target is 3% and its headline interest rate is currently at 2.1%.

Also in Hungary the country's debt management agency, AKK, will offer up to 52 billion forints ($207.8 million) in four-, six- and 14-year sovereign bonds at its latest auction.

 
 FOREX 
 
EUR/CZK 
0450 GMT 27.585-653 
Previous 27.592-660 
%Chg -0.03 
 
EUR/HUF 
0450 GMT 306.73-7.31 
Previous 306.88-7.46 
%Chg  -0.05 
 
EUR/PLN 
0450 GMT 4.1757-73 
Previous 4.1764-80 
%Chg  -0.02 
 
 
FIXED INCOME 
 
Hungary 
          Wed    Tue 
3 yrs    2.62%  2.61% 
5 yrs    3.10%  3.05% 
10yrs    3.55%  3.52% 
 
Poland 
          Wed    Tue 
3 yrs    1.83%  1.87% 
5 yrs    2.12%  2.19% 
10yrs    2.57%  2.57% 
 
Czech Republic 
          Wed    Tue 
3 yrs    0.11%  0.11% 
5 yrs    0.11%  0.11% 
10yrs    0.67%  0.66% 
 
 
STOCKS 
 
WIG 20 
2,371.43 -26.60 -1.11% 
 
BUX 
17,621.96 +16.68 +0.09% 
 
PX 
994.75 +2.54 +0.26% 
 
 
OTHER NEWS 

UKRAINE: Australia offered to send urgently needed energy supplies to Ukraine to help outflank Russian curbs on coal shipments to its smaller neighbor that have contributed to blackouts across the country.

UKRAINE: U.S. lawmakers are heading toward authorizing new aid for Ukraine that could unlock at least $1 billion in new financing for the country as its economic turmoil deepens from its standoff with Russia.

Write to Leos Rousek at [e-mail]