USD/CHF softens below 0.9050 amid muted trading
- USD/CHF declines to around 0.9030 in Tuesday’s early European session.
- The likelihood that the Fed will make fewer rate cuts next year might support the USD.
- Escalating geopolitical tension in the Middle East could boost the safe-haven flows, benefiting the CHF.
The USD/CHF pair softens to near 0.9030, snapping the two-day winning streak during the early European session on Tuesday. The cautious mood and geopolitical risks could boost the safe-haven currency like the Swiss Franc (CHF). Trading conditions remain choppy ahead of the New Year holiday.
The expectation of a slower pace of Federal Reserve (Fed) rate cuts and rising US Treasury Yields might keep the Greenback on the front foot. Fed officials see the interest-rate forecast for 2025 to 50 basis points (bps) of cuts, down from 100 bps. Fed Chair Jerome Powell noted that the US will look for further progress on inflation in 2025 as elevated inflation in the year-over-year data is concerning policymakers.
On the Swiss front, traders will closely monitor the development surrounding escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. Ant signs of geopolitical risks could boost the safe-haven currency like the Swiss Franc (CHF) and act as a headwind for USD/CHF. On Monday, Israeli forces killed four Palestinians in an attack on besieged Jabalia in North Gaza after a day of attacks that killed at least 27 people across the Strip.
Swiss Franc FAQs
The Swiss Franc (CHF) is Switzerland’s official currency. It is among the top ten most traded currencies globally, reaching volumes that well exceed the size of the Swiss economy. Its value is determined by the broad market sentiment, the country’s economic health or action taken by the Swiss National Bank (SNB), among other factors. Between 2011 and 2015, the Swiss Franc was pegged to the Euro (EUR). The peg was abruptly removed, resulting in a more than 20% increase in the Franc’s value, causing a turmoil in markets. Even though the peg isn’t in force anymore, CHF fortunes tend to be highly correlated with the Euro ones due to the high dependency of the Swiss economy on the neighboring Eurozone.
The Swiss Franc (CHF) is considered a safe-haven asset, or a currency that investors tend to buy in times of market stress. This is due to the perceived status of Switzerland in the world: a stable economy, a strong export sector, big central bank reserves or a longstanding political stance towards neutrality in global conflicts make the country’s currency a good choice for investors fleeing from risks. Turbulent times are likely to strengthen CHF value against other currencies that are seen as more risky to invest in.
The Swiss National Bank (SNB) meets four times a year – once every quarter, less than other major central banks – to decide on monetary policy. The bank aims for an annual inflation rate of less than 2%. When inflation is above target or forecasted to be above target in the foreseeable future, the bank will attempt to tame price growth by raising its policy rate. Higher interest rates are generally positive for the Swiss Franc (CHF) as they lead to higher yields, making the country a more attractive place for investors. On the contrary, lower interest rates tend to weaken CHF.
Macroeconomic data releases in Switzerland are key to assessing the state of the economy and can impact the Swiss Franc’s (CHF) valuation. The Swiss economy is broadly stable, but any sudden change in economic growth, inflation, current account or the central bank’s currency reserves have the potential to trigger moves in CHF. Generally, high economic growth, low unemployment and high confidence are good for CHF. Conversely, if economic data points to weakening momentum, CHF is likely to depreciate.
As a small and open economy, Switzerland is heavily dependent on the health of the neighboring Eurozone economies. The broader European Union is Switzerland’s main economic partner and a key political ally, so macroeconomic and monetary policy stability in the Eurozone is essential for Switzerland and, thus, for the Swiss Franc (CHF). With such dependency, some models suggest that the correlation between the fortunes of the Euro (EUR) and the CHF is more than 90%, or close to perfect.
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