The USD/CHF pair jumps to around 0.7985 during the early European session on Thursday. The Greenback strengthens against the Swiss Franc (CHF) following an address to the nation by US President Donald Trump. Traders will keep an eye on the Swiss March Consumer Price Index (CPI) data, which is due later on Thursday.
Trump said during a primetime televised speech from the White House on Thursday that his core “objectives are nearing completion” in Iran and expected another two or three weeks of involvement. Nonetheless, he signaled that the US is prepared to intensify its military response in the remaining time period and threatened to bring Iran “back to the stone ages.” Persistent tensions between the US and Iran could underpin the US Dollar (USD) in the near term.
The Swiss Federal Statistical Office will publish its inflation data on Thursday. The monthly and annual CPI are expected to show a rise of 0.5% for March. The persistent low inflation has led the Swiss National Bank (SNB) to maintain a cautious stance.
Traders will shift their attention to the US jobs data on Friday. Markets expect the Nonfarm Payrolls (NFP) to show 60,000 in March, while the Unemployment Rate is projected to hold steady at 4.4% during the same period. If the reports show weaker-than-expected outcomes, this could undermine the USD against the CHF.
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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