CORRECTED-CEE MARKETS-Currencies stable as investors digest China data, eye U.S.-Sino tensions

(Corrects upper end of range in paragraph 4 to 348 not 383) By Anita Komuves BUDAPEST, Aug 10 (Reuters) - Central European currencies held steady while equities were mixed as investors took stock of data showing growth in industrial output in China, a sign of recovery from the coronavirus pandemic. At the same time, U.S.-China tensions and worries about the further economic effects of the pandemic were also affecting investor sentiment. Markets also looked to Washington for signs of more U.S. stimulus. Currencies in the region edged up with the Hungarian forint leading gains, up 0.17% at 345.40 to the euro. "The exchange rate is still moving sideways in the narrow range between 343 and 348," Erste bank said in a note. The forint has been stuck in this range for about two weeks. "According to the technical picture, there is a chance of the forint weakening slightly in the short term," Equilor said in a note. Elsewhere, the Polish zloty edged up 0.06% to 4.406 per euro. Poland's interest rates are too low and the central bank's rate-setting panel should consider increasing them, rate-setter Eugeniusz Gatnar said on Monday. The central bank has cut rates three times this year to a record low of 0.1%. The Czech crown firmed 0.1% to 26.275 versus the common currency. The crown retreated from a multi-month high last week after the central bank left interest rates unchanged on Thursday. The Romanian leu was also stable, up 0.04% and trading at 4.8365 per euro after the central bank unexpectedly cut its benchmark rate to 1.50% last Wednesday. "In view of the currently louder calls from the political side for a further easing of monetary policy, one can hardly avoid the impression of increasing political influence," Commerzbank wrote in a note. "Should the latter manifest itself, this is (medium-term) no good news for the RON." Most share markets in the region firmed, with Budapest's stocks gaining 1.4% by 0829 GMT. Prague's equities firmed 1.15% while Bucharest's blue chip index edged up 0.3%. Warsaw's main index slipped 0.13%. CEE SNAPSHO AT MARKETS T 1029 CET CURRENC IES Latest Previou Daily Change s bid close change in 2020 EURCZK= Czech <EURCZK 26.2750 26.3000 +0.10% -3.21% crown => EURHUF= Hungary <EURHUF 345.400 346.000 +0.17% -4.13% forint => 0 0 EURPLN= Polish <EURPLN 4.4060 4.4085 +0.06% -3.40% zloty => EURRON= Romanian <EURRON 4.8365 4.8385 +0.04% -1.00% leu => EURHRK= Croatian <EURHRK 7.4600 7.4655 +0.07% -0.20% kuna => EURRSD= Serbian <EURRSD 117.500 117.600 +0.09% +0.06% dinar => 0 0 Note: calculated from 1800 daily CET change Latest Previou Daily Change s close change in 2020 .PX Prague 917.65 907.260 +1.15% -17.75% 0 .BUX Budapest 36454.6 35952.5 +1.40% -20.89% 5 3 .WIG20 Warsaw <.WIG20 1814.86 1817.23 -0.13% -15.59% > .BETI Bucharest 8601.16 8572.86 +0.33% -13.79% .SBITOP Ljubljana <.SBITO 843.53 840.05 +0.41% -8.89% P> .CRBEX Zagreb <.CRBEX 1576.87 1576.45 +0.03% -21.84% > .BELEX1 Belgrade <.BELEX 662.60 667.68 -0.76% -17.35% 5 15> .SOFIX Sofia <.SOFIX 430.70 430.87 -0.04% -24.19% > Yield Yield Spread Daily (bid) change vs Bund change in Czech spread Republic CZ2YT=R 2-year <CZ2YT= 0.1810 0.1270 +087bp +13bps R RR> s CZ5YT=R 5-year <CZ5YT= 0.3140 -0.0320 +101bp -3bps R RR> s CZ10YT= 10-year <CZ10YT 0.8280 0.0060 +134bp +1bps RR =RR> s Poland PL2YT=R 2-year <PL2YT= 0.1400 -0.0050 +083bp +0bps R RR> s PL5YT=R 5-year <PL5YT= 0.6760 -0.0240 +137bp -2bps R RR> s PL10YT= 10-year <PL10YT 1.2850 -0.0070 +180bp +0bps RR =RR> s FORWARD 3x6 6x9 9x12 3M interba nk Czech Rep <CZKFRA 0.33 0.33 0.35 0.34 ><PRIBO R=> Hungary <HUFFRA 0.60 0.59 0.58 0.60 ><BUBOR => Poland <PLNFRA 0.17 0.17 0.16 0.23 ><WIBOR => Note: FRA are for ask quotes prices ********************************************* ***************** (Editing by Emelia Sithole-Matarise)