* Fx, stocks firm as U.S. data fuels risk appetite * Serbian central bank keeps rates on hold, sells dinar in market * Czech crown near strongest levels since 2013 * Czech central bank data shows fx reserves rose in June (Adds Serbian central bank decision, dinar selling) By Sandor Peto BUDAPEST, July 10 Central European stocks rose and most of the region's currencies firmed slightly on Monday, benefiting from rising risk appetite in the wake of strong U.S. jobs data late last week. Bucharest led equity gains, with its main index rising by 0.9 percent by 1317 GMT. The dinar was steady after Serbia kept its main interest rate, the highest in the region, at 4 percent as expected. After announcing its decision, the central bank sold dinar in the market, dealers said, to prevent a firming through the 120 psychological level against the euro which it has been testing since Friday when it hit 20-month highs. The dinar was trading at 120.08 at 1317 GMT, staying near the high despite the intervention by the bank, which has purchased around 530 million euros ($604 million) so far this year. An interest rate cut could weaken the dinar, but the bank fears a cut could hit appetite for dinar-denominated securities in a period when monetary policy tightening by the world's main central banks is a key risk. The dinar could come under pressure soon from uncertainty over the future of Serbia's deal with the IMF, which will expire next year, and possible delays in the restructuring of state-owned firms, Raiffeisen analyst Wolfgang Ernst said in a note. In a Reuters poll last week analysts saw the dinar retreating to 124 per euro in the next 12 months. The Czech crown traded at 26.102 against the euro, still near Friday's 26.048 peak, its strongest level since late 2013. It was buoyed on Friday by data showing robust growth in industrial output and retail sales in May, reflecting the region's solid economic growth. The crown has been strengthening since early April when the Czech central bank removed a cap which had kept it weaker than 27 for years. Before the exit, the bank sold crowns worth tens of billions of euros in the market to defend the cap, boosting its foreign currency reserves. Czech end-June reserve figures released on Monday showed a further rise last month, to 124.89 billion euros from a revised 124.01 billion euros in May, while the central bank said it did not sell or buy any foreign currency in the spot market in May. Hungarian and Polish long-term government bond yields dropped by a few basis points after a sharp rise in the past two weeks due to hawkish comments from European Central Bank officials. CEE MARKETS SNAPSH AT 1517 CET OT CURRENCIES Latest Previo Daily Change us bid close change in 2017 Czech crown 26.102 26.088 -0.05% 3.47% 0 0 Hungary 308.00 308.03 +0.01 0.27% forint 00 00 % Polish zloty 4.2351 4.2356 +0.01 3.99% % Romanian leu 4.5690 4.5767 +0.17 -0.74% % Croatian kuna 7.4035 7.4115 +0.11 2.05% % Serbian dinar 120.08 120.11 +0.02 2.72% 00 00 % Note: daily calculated previo close 1800 change from us at CET STOCKS Latest Previo Daily Change us close change in 2017 Prague 995.81 992.18 +0.37 +8.05 % % Budapest 35681. 35503. +0.50 +11.4 43 69 % 9% Warsaw 2290.8 2295.8 -0.22% +17.6 8 2 1% Bucharest 8118.0 8044.7 +0.91 +14.5 1 9 % 8% Ljubljana 804.90 801.45 +0.43 +12.1 % 7% Zagreb 1861.3 1871.9 -0.57% -6.69% 5 7 Belgrade 716.42 709.77 +0.94 -0.13% % Sofia 704.58 707.96 -0.48% +20.1 5% BONDS Yield Yield Spread Daily (bid) change vs change Bund in Czech spread Republic 2-year 0.119 0.12 +072b +13bp ps s 5-year 0.164 0.063 +027b +8bps ps 10-year 1.064 -0.029 +052b +0bps ps Poland 2-year 1.83 -0.195 +244b -19bps ps 5-year 2.677 -0.05 +278b -3bps ps 10-year 3.307 -0.054 +277b -2bps ps FORWARD RATE AGREEMENT 3x6 6x9 9x12 3M interb ank Czech Rep <PR 0.45 0.53 0.63 0 IBOR=> Hungary <BU 0.21 0.25 0.3 0.15 BOR=> Poland <WI 1.752 1.79 1.84 1.73 BOR=> Note: FRA are for ask quotes prices ********************************************************** **** ($1 = 0.8780 euros) (Additional reporting by Radu Marinas in Bucharest; Editing by Keith Weir and Susan Fenton)