 Central European stocks easedand currencies sought direction on Monday with global marketsunnerved by new outbreaks of coronavirus infections in theUnited States and Germany. Romanian equities led losses in the region, dropping by justover 1. Investors were eyeing key central bank rate setting meetingsin Budapest and Prague this week with both banks expected tohold fire. The Hungarian forint slid by 0.09 to 346.00versus the euro at 0751 GMT. The National Bank of Hungary is likely to leave interestrates unchanged, according to a Reuters poll of analysts. Markets are expecting some kind of easing in the future,probably three months from now at the next rate meeting, aBudapest-based trader said. The bank will most likely not cut the base rate even thenbut lower the interest rate on the one-week deposit tender ormanage fx swap tenders. The NBH has offered the one-week facility at a rate of 0.9since it was introduced in April. Some analysts called the movean implicit rate hike by the regions previously most dovishcentral bank. Markets will also watch out for signs in the bankscommunication on Tuesday about the possible effect of a changein leadership, analysts said. Tuesdays session will be the first since the resignation ofDeputy Governor Marton Nagy, architect of many of the banksunconventional monetary easing programmes. He will be replacedby Managing Director Barnabas Virag. The Czech central bank meets on Wednesday. Analystsanticipate no rate change. The Czech National Bank has cut by200 basis points since March to put the base rate at 0.25. Antivirus software maker Avastsdual-listed shares rose more than 3 in Prague after beingincluded in Londons FTSE 100 index. The Czech crown was stable on Monday, firming0.04 and trading at 26.644 to the euro. Elsewhere, the zloty was up 0.23 at 4.4563 versus the common currency. CEE SNAPSHOT AT MARKETS 0951 CET CURRENCIE S Latest Previou Daily Change s bid close change in 2020 EURCZK Czech 26.6440 26.6550 0.04 -4.55 crown EURHUF Hungary 346.0000 345.700 -0.09 -4.29 forint 0 EURPLN Polish 4.4563 4.4665 0.23 -4.49 zloty EURRON Romanian 4.8410 4.8411 0.00 -1.09 leu EURHRK Croatian 7.5683 7.5755 0.10 -1.62 kuna EURRSD Serbian 117.5600 117.620 0.05 0.01 dinar 0 Note: calculated from 1800 daily CET change STOCKS Latest Previou Daily Change s close change in 2020 .PX Prague 927.92 927.970 -0.01 -16.83 0 .BUX Budapest 37121.40 37279.8 -0.42 -19.45 2 .WIG20 Warsaw 1796.41 1807.85 -0.63 -16.45 .BETI Buchares 8614.83 8707.34 -1.06 -13.66 t .SBITO Ljubljan 847.99 850.54 -0.30 -8.41 P a .CRBEX Zagreb 1640.76 1640.76 0.00 -18.67 .BELEX Belgrade .BELEX15 670.42 669.67 0.11 -16.37 15 .SOFIX Sofia 457.51 459.87 -0.51 -19.47 BONDS Yield Yield Spread Daily bid change vs Bund change in Czech spread Republic CZ2YT 2-year s CZ5YT 5-year s CZ10YT s Poland PL2YT 2-year s PL5YT 5-year s PL10YT s FRA 3x6 6x9 9x12 3M interba nk Czech 0.31 0.33 0.35 0.34 Rep PRIBOR Hungary 0.78 0.73 0.70 0.89 BUBOR Poland 0.26 0.26 0.28 0.27 WIBOR Note: FRA quotes are for ask prices Additional reporting by Jason Hovet in Prague Editing by Mark Heinrich 