USD/CHF slumps to near 0.7800 as US Dollar extends decline amid Iran optimism
- USD/CHF declines to near 0.7800 due to continued underperformance from the US Dollar.
- The US Dollar has been battered by the US-Iran permanent ceasefire optimism.
- US President Trump expresses confidence in some positive announcements relating to Iran soon.
The USD/CHF pair trades 0.2% lower to near 0.7800 during the Asian trading session on Thursday. The Swiss Franc pair faces selling pressure as the US Dollar (USD) continues to underperform amid increasing hopes that the United States (US) and Iran would reach a permanent ceasefire soon.
During the press time, the US Dollar Index (DXY), which tracks the Greenback’s value against six major currencies, trades 0.15% lower to near 97.85, the lowest level seen in over six weeks.
US Dollar Price Today
The table below shows the percentage change of US Dollar (USD) against listed major currencies today. US Dollar was the weakest against the Australian Dollar.
| USD | EUR | GBP | JPY | CAD | AUD | NZD | CHF | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USD | -0.13% | -0.17% | -0.27% | -0.17% | -0.29% | -0.06% | -0.19% | |
| EUR | 0.13% | -0.04% | -0.13% | -0.04% | -0.15% | 0.04% | -0.06% | |
| GBP | 0.17% | 0.04% | -0.09% | -0.02% | -0.13% | 0.08% | -0.03% | |
| JPY | 0.27% | 0.13% | 0.09% | 0.08% | -0.01% | 0.14% | 0.07% | |
| CAD | 0.17% | 0.04% | 0.02% | -0.08% | -0.11% | 0.10% | -0.01% | |
| AUD | 0.29% | 0.15% | 0.13% | 0.01% | 0.11% | 0.19% | 0.12% | |
| NZD | 0.06% | -0.04% | -0.08% | -0.14% | -0.10% | -0.19% | -0.10% | |
| CHF | 0.19% | 0.06% | 0.03% | -0.07% | 0.01% | -0.12% | 0.10% |
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 US Dollar from the left column and move along the horizontal line to the Japanese Yen, the percentage change displayed in the box will represent USD (base)/JPY (quote).
The optimism over a US-Iran permanent truce has diminished the safe-haven demand for the US Dollar. Also, traders have priced out the possibility of interest rate hikes by the Federal Reserve (Fed) this year on expectations that oil prices will fall if the US and Iran reach a deal. Higher oil prices forced traders to raise hawkish Fed bets for the year in March. There was anticipation of at least one interest rate hike this year.
The US-Iran optimism has been prompted by comments from US President Donald Trump that there could be a positive announcement over Middle East conflicts, which came on early Wednesday. "I think you’re going to be watching an amazing two days ahead. I really do," Trump said in an interview with ABC News.
In Switzerland, investors await the Producer and Import Prices data of March, which will be published at 06:30 GMT. The data is estimated to have grown 0.2% after declining 0.3% in February.
US Dollar FAQs
The US Dollar (USD) is the official currency of the United States of America, and the ‘de facto’ currency of a significant number of other countries where it is found in circulation alongside local notes. It is the most heavily traded currency in the world, accounting for over 88% of all global foreign exchange turnover, or an average of $6.6 trillion in transactions per day, according to data from 2022. Following the second world war, the USD took over from the British Pound as the world’s reserve currency. For most of its history, the US Dollar was backed by Gold, until the Bretton Woods Agreement in 1971 when the Gold Standard went away.
The most important single factor impacting on the value of the US Dollar is monetary policy, which is shaped by the Federal Reserve (Fed). The Fed has two mandates: to achieve price stability (control inflation) and foster full employment. Its primary tool to achieve these two goals is by adjusting interest rates. When prices are rising too quickly and inflation is above the Fed’s 2% target, the Fed will raise rates, which helps the USD value. When inflation falls below 2% or the Unemployment Rate is too high, the Fed may lower interest rates, which weighs on the Greenback.
In extreme situations, the Federal Reserve can also print more Dollars and enact 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 when credit has dried up because banks will not lend to each other (out of the fear of counterparty default). It is a last resort when simply lowering interest rates is unlikely to achieve the necessary result. It was the Fed’s weapon of choice to combat the credit crunch that occurred during the Great Financial Crisis in 2008. It involves the Fed printing more Dollars and using them to buy US government bonds predominantly from financial institutions. QE usually leads to a weaker US Dollar.
Quantitative tightening (QT) is the reverse process whereby the Federal Reserve stops buying bonds from financial institutions and does not reinvest the principal from the bonds it holds maturing in new purchases. It is usually positive for the US Dollar.
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