USD/CHF Price Forecast: Softens to near 0.7900 with rangebound tone ahead of US CPI release
- USD/CHF weakens to around 0.7905 in Friday’s early European session.
- Further consolidation cannot be ruled out as the pair remains capped below the Bollinger Bands’ 20-day SMA, with neutral RSI.
- The immediate resistance level emerges at 0.7930; the initial support level is seen at 0.7895.
- The US March CPI inflation report is due later on Friday.
The USD/CHF pair loses ground to near 0.7905 during the early European session on Friday. A fragile two-week ceasefire between the United States (US) and Iran provides some support to a safe-haven currency such as the Swiss Franc (CHF) against the US Dollar (USD).
Ahead of the US and Iran talks in Pakistan, Israel continues to bombard Lebanon after killing more than 300 people and injuring at least 1,150 in a single day of strikes across the country on Wednesday. Earlier Friday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that there is “no ceasefire in Lebanon” and Israel would continue “to strike Hezbollah with full force” as the country’s military launched fresh strikes.
Traders will closely monitor the US March Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation report later on Friday. The headline CPI is projected to see a rise of 3.3% YoY in March, compared to 2.4% in February, driven by soaring oil prices due to the Middle East war. Any signs of hotter inflation in the US could boost the Greenback against the CHF in the near term.
Technical Analysis:
In the daily chart, USD/CHF is hovering just above the 100-day exponential moving average (EMA) at 0.7893, which lends nearby support, but it remains capped by the Bollinger Bands’ 20-day simple moving average around 0.7932, keeping the broader tone neutral and range-bound. The Relative Strength Index (RSI) at 49 is essentially flat, hinting that directional conviction is lacking after the recent pullback from higher levels.
On the topside, initial resistance is located at the Bollinger midline/20-day SMA near 0.7930, with a break there exposing the upper Bollinger band at roughly 0.8032 as the next hurdle. On the downside, immediate support is seen at the 100-day EMA at 0.7895; a clear break below this level would open the way toward the lower Bollinger band support around 0.7832, where buyers could look to defend the broader range.
(The technical analysis of this story was written with the help of an AI tool.)
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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