USD/CHF gains ground around 0.8850, eyes on US PMI data
|- USD/CHF recovers some lost ground around 0.8845 in Friday’s early Asian session.
- US PCE rose by 2.4% YoY in January vs. 2.6% prior; Core PCE eased to 2.8% YoY vs. 2.9% previously.
- Switzerland's GDP grew by 0.3% QoQ in the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2023.
The USD/CHF pair holds positive ground around the mid-0.8800s during the early Asian trading hours on Friday. The recovery of the pair is bolstered by the firmer US dollar (USD). Investors await the Swiss Real Retail Sales and US ISM Manufacturing PMI, due on Friday. The pair currently trades near 0.8845, gaining 0.04% on the day.
On Thursday, the US Personal Consumption Expenditures Price Index (PCE) rose by 2.4% YoY in January, a slowdown from December’s reading of 2.6%. The Federal Reserve's (Fed) preferred inflation gauge, Core PCE, eased to 2.8% YoY from 2.9% in the previous reading, in line with the estimation.
Furthermore, the weekly Initial Jobless Claims for the week ending February 24 totaled 215K from the previous reading of 202K, worse than the expectation of 210K. Continuing Claims rose to 1.905 million, higher than the forecast of 1.874 million.
The January inflation data increases uncertainty and delays expectations of a rate cut, which boosts the US Dollar (USD) against its rivals. The Fed officials will monitor the inflation data, and the policymakers will likely set the table for interest-rate cuts later this year.
On the Swiss front, Switzerland's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew by 0.3% QoQ in the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2023, better than the estimation of 0.1%, according to the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) on Thursday.
Moving on, traders will monitor the Swiss January Real Retail Sales, which is estimated to improve from a 0.8% decline to a 0.4% rise. Also, the US ISM Manufacturing PMI, Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index, and S&P Global Manufacturing PMI will be released from the US docket. Traders will take cues from the data and find trading opportunities around the USD/CHF pair.
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