* Zloty, forint firm as ECB comments do not get more hawkish * Hungarian yields plunge helped by forint strength, ECB comments * Leu, crown retreat slightly (Recasts with impacts of ECB comments) By Sandor Peto BUDAPEST, July 26 (Reuters) - Some Central European currencies gained and Hungarian government bond yields plunged on Thursday as comments from the European Central Bank reinforced the closing out of earlier selling positions. Those positions were opened in recent months as a dollar rally triggered a sell-off in emerging markets and expectations for a rise in interest rates in the region. But the dollar's gains lost steam in the past week, leading to a rebound in regional currencies, including the forint, which set a record low past 330 against the euro early this month. The dollar regained some strength against the euro on Thursday as the ECB left interest rates on hold, as expected, and ECB President Mario Draghi left intact plans to unwind its stimulus programme by the end of the year. The region's central banks look at the ECB for guidance as higher interest rates in the euro zone would make their assets less attractive. No change in the ECB's guidance takes pressure off from some of the region's central banks to tighten policy. The currencies of Hungary and Poland, where interest rates are at record lows and no rise is expected this year, firmed. The forint and the zloty rose 0.4 percent by 1354 GMT, with the forint trading at a safe distance from its recent lows, at 324.25, also encouraging a closing of short positions in Hungary's bond market, one trader said. The 10-year benchmark paper traded at 3.22 percent, down 15 basis points from Wednesday's midday fixing, and the 3-year yield fell even more, to 1.55 percent. "Interbank BUBOR rates have also been dropping day by day, like implied yields in FX swaps," the trader said. "Positions which bet on a yield rise and a forint weakening lost sense, speculation has lost direction and we see stops," the trader added. Yields in the Czech Republic and Poland, where debt markets were less hit in the past months than in Hungary, rose. Regional stock markets firmed, led by 1.6 percent in Warsaw's bluechip index, also reflecting better sentiment after Wednesday's U.S.-EU talks eased fears of a trade war. Warsaw's firming was mainly driven by a 4.9 percent jump in the shares of insurer PZU. The Czech and Romanian currencies, buoyed recently by expectations for further interest rate increases by their central banks, gave up some ground against the euro. The leu shed a quarter of a percent to 4.636, retreating from two-month highs set on Wednesday. The crown also eased a shade to 25.662, after hitting seven-week highs early in the session. CEE SNAPSHOT AT MARKETS 1554 CET CURRENCI ES Latest Previous Daily Change bid close change in 2018 Czech <EURCZK= 25.6620 25.6520 -0.04% -0.47% crown > Hungary <EURHUF= 324.2500 325.4500 +0.37% -4.11% forint > Polish <EURPLN= 4.2860 4.3020 +0.37% -2.56% zloty > Romanian <EURRON= 4.6360 4.6245 -0.25% +0.94% leu > Croatian <EURHRK= 7.4030 7.4020 -0.01% +0.37% kuna > Serbian <EURRSD= 117.9000 117.9900 +0.08% +0.51% dinar > Note: calculated from 1800 CET daily change Latest Previous Daily Change close change in 2018 Prague 1092.41 1090.420 +0.18% +1.32% 0 Budapest 35420.14 34963.19 +1.31% -10.05% Warsaw 2295.78 2260.70 +1.55% -6.72% Bucharest 8014.04 7953.86 +0.76% +3.36% Ljubljana <.SBITOP 886.08 888.04 -0.22% +9.88% > Zagreb 1831.50 1821.56 +0.55% -0.62% Belgrade <.BELEX1 743.60 739.27 +0.59% -2.13% 5> Sofia 635.89 636.02 -0.02% -6.13% BONDS Yield Yield Spread Daily (bid) change vs Bund change in Czech spread Republic 2-year <CZ2YT=R 1.2510 0.1730 +186bps +18bps R> 5-year <CZ5YT=R 1.6400 0.0990 +187bps +10bps R> 10-year <CZ10YT= 2.1550 0.0330 +176bps +3bps RR> Poland 2-year <PL2YT=R 1.6290 0.0000 +224bps +1bps R> 5-year <PL5YT=R 2.5000 0.0130 +273bps +1bps R> 10-year <PL10YT= 3.1410 0.0130 +274bps +1bps RR> FORWARD RATE AGREEMEN T 3x6 6x9 9x12 3M interban k Czech Rep 1.44 1.65 1.77 1.20 <PRIBOR= > Hungary 0.36 0.54 0.73 0.21 Poland 1.74 1.77 1.82 1.70 Note: FRA are for ask prices quotes