Central Europe's Tight Trading Amid Geopolitical News

Central and eastern European assets were constrained in narrow trading ranges due to geopolitical developments. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio's visit to Slovakia and Hungary stirred interest, particularly due to Hungary's conservative ties with Trump. Hungarian forint continued its strong performance, while emerging markets faced key upcoming data releases.

Central and eastern European assets remained within narrow trading ranges as geopolitical headlines dominated holiday-thinned sessions. Investors were closely watching U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio's visit to Slovakia and Hungary, a move aimed at strengthening ties with Central Europe amid Hungary's amicable relations with President Donald Trump.

In currency markets, the Hungarian forint saw a 0.4% rise against the euro, asserting itself as the region's top performer this year. The approaching national election in April has opinion polls favoring a pro-EU candidate, although Budapest stocks dipped by 0.5%.

The global emerging markets also made modest gains. The MSCI EM equity index rose by 0.4%, accompanied by a 0.3% advance in the EM currency gauge. Despite several countries being closed for holidays, anticipation was building around key data releases later in the week, including inflation figures from various nations and crucial monetary policy decisions, notably in Indonesia and Romania.

(With inputs from agencies.)