Swiss Franc declines against US Dollar amid hawkish Fed bets
- The Swiss Franc weakens against the US Dollar amid firm Fed interest rate hike expectations.
- The US and Iran announce ceasefire 2.0 as Tehran agrees to Hormuz reopening and nuclear terms.
- Investors await the US NFP data for fresh cues regarding the Fed's monetary policy outlook.
The Swiss Franc (CHF) trades lower against its major currency peers at the start of the week. The USD/CHF pair rises 0.15% to near 0.8082 as a market-sentiment revival following the announcement of a ceasefire in the Middle East has diminished the appeal of safe-haven assets.
Swiss Franc Price Today
The table below shows the percentage change of Swiss Franc (CHF) against listed major currencies today. Swiss Franc was the weakest against the Japanese Yen.
| USD | EUR | GBP | JPY | CAD | AUD | NZD | CHF | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USD | -0.01% | 0.13% | -0.47% | 0.09% | -0.13% | -0.08% | 0.17% | |
| EUR | 0.01% | 0.13% | -0.51% | 0.10% | -0.14% | -0.03% | 0.15% | |
| GBP | -0.13% | -0.13% | -0.59% | -0.06% | -0.26% | -0.16% | 0.04% | |
| JPY | 0.47% | 0.51% | 0.59% | 0.51% | 0.27% | 0.40% | 0.55% | |
| CAD | -0.09% | -0.10% | 0.06% | -0.51% | -0.23% | -0.11% | 0.03% | |
| AUD | 0.13% | 0.14% | 0.26% | -0.27% | 0.23% | 0.10% | 0.29% | |
| NZD | 0.08% | 0.03% | 0.16% | -0.40% | 0.11% | -0.10% | 0.21% | |
| CHF | -0.17% | -0.15% | -0.04% | -0.55% | -0.03% | -0.29% | -0.21% |
The heat map shows percentage changes of major currencies against each other. The base currency is picked from the left column, while the quote currency is picked from the top row. For example, if you pick the Swiss Franc from the left column and move along the horizontal line to the US Dollar, the percentage change displayed in the box will represent CHF (base)/USD (quote).
Over the weekend, United States (US) President Donald Trump shelved planned attacks on Iran, clarifying that Tehran agreed to the nuclear deal and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
At press time, S&P 500 futures are 0.6% higher to near 7,535, reflecting a risk-on mood. The US Dollar Index (DXY), which tracks the Greenback’s value against six major currencies, trades 0.1% lower to near 99.70.
Though the US Dollar Index is also down, it is trading higher against the Swiss Franc amid expectations that the Federal Reserve (Fed) will raise interest rates in the near term.
According to TD Securities, the strength of underlying US activity is increasingly calling into question how tight current Fed policy actually is, with the bank noting that “robust activity is also another sign that policy may not be that restrictive.” At the same time, TD Securities cautions that inflation dynamics remain critical: “If core services inflation continues to prove sticky, that would likely be enough to motivate the Fed to tighten policy,” its analysts warn, highlighting the risk that persistent price pressures in the services sector could still force additional action from the central bank.
Meanwhile, the CME FedWatch tool shows a 64.6% chance that the Fed will raise interest rates in the September policy meeting.
This week, investors will focus on a string of US economic data, notably the Nonfarm Payrolls (NFP) data for July, which will be released on Friday.
Fed FAQs
Monetary policy in the US is shaped by the Federal Reserve (Fed). The Fed has two mandates: to achieve price stability and foster full employment. Its primary tool to achieve these goals is by adjusting interest rates. When prices are rising too quickly and inflation is above the Fed’s 2% target, it raises interest rates, increasing borrowing costs throughout the economy. This results in a stronger US Dollar (USD) as it makes the US a more attractive place for international investors to park their money. When inflation falls below 2% or the Unemployment Rate is too high, the Fed may lower interest rates to encourage borrowing, which weighs on the Greenback.
The Federal Reserve (Fed) holds eight policy meetings a year, where the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) assesses economic conditions and makes monetary policy decisions. The FOMC is attended by twelve Fed officials – the seven members of the Board of Governors, the president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, and four of the remaining eleven regional Reserve Bank presidents, who serve one-year terms on a rotating basis.
In extreme situations, the Federal Reserve may resort to a policy named Quantitative Easing (QE). QE is the process by which the Fed substantially increases the flow of credit in a stuck financial system. It is a non-standard policy measure used during crises or when inflation is extremely low. It was the Fed’s weapon of choice during the Great Financial Crisis in 2008. It involves the Fed printing more Dollars and using them to buy high grade bonds from financial institutions. QE usually weakens the US Dollar.
Quantitative tightening (QT) is the reverse process of QE, whereby the Federal Reserve stops buying bonds from financial institutions and does not reinvest the principal from the bonds it holds maturing, to purchase new bonds. It is usually positive for the value of the US Dollar.
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