SNB's Martin: Uncertainty about global economic outlook has increased

Dhwani Mehta FXStreet

Swiss National Bank (SNB) Vice Chairman Antoine Martin is speaking at the post-policy meeting press conference, explaining the reason behind the surprise rate cut move.

Key quotes

Uncertainty about global economic outlook has increased.

Geopolitical tensions could lead to weaker global economic development.

Political uncertainty in Europe has risen.

Future course of US economic policy is uncertain.

Meanwhile, SNB governing board member Petra Tschudin noted that “Swiss economic growth should pick up slightly next year thanks to monetary easing.”

“Developments abroad are the main risk to swiss economy,” Tschudin added.

Market reaction

USD/CHF was last seen trading 0.50% higher on the day at 0.8885, with traders digesting the SNB’s surprise 50 basis points (bps) rate cut to 0.50%.

Author

Dhwani Mehta

FXStreet

Residing in Mumbai (India), Dhwani is a Senior Analyst and Manager of the Asian session at FXStreet. She has over 10 years of experience in analyzing and covering the global financial markets, with specialization in Forex and commodities markets.

AUD/USD jumps to 0.7050, fresh one-month top after hot Australian CPI

AUD/USD attracts buyers for the second straight day on Wednesday, rising to a fresh high since September 23 during the Asian session. A hot Australian CPI print reaffirmed bets for an imminent RBA rate hike in November and boosted the Australian Dollar. Meanwhile, the US Dollar pauses after a three-day rally to a near two-week high ahead of the crucial FOMC rate decision, lending additional support to the currency pair.

USD/JPY sticks to modest gains above 157.50 as traders await Fed, BoJ meetings

USD/JPY attracts buyers for the third straight day, recovering further from a one-month low ahead of Wednesday’s FOMC decision and the BoJ policy update on Friday. Meanwhile, expectations that the BoJ may hold off on aggressive rate hikes weigh on the Japanese Yen, and the US Dollar advances to a nearly two-week high, supporting the currency pair.

Gold struggles to gain traction ahead of Fed policy verdict

Gold (XAU/USD) stalls its rebound on Wednesday as investors await the Federal Reserve’s (Fed) monetary policy announcement, due at 18:00 GMT. A modest pullback in Oil prices helped bullion recover from its lowest levels since July over the past two days. However, renewed gains in Oil prices and a steady US Dollar (USD) are limiting further upside.

Zcash's bullish momentum mounts on steady ETF inflows, retail confidence

Zcash extends steady recovery above $1,300 on Wednesday, approaching a key resistance near $1,373. Grayscale’s ZEC-focused Exchange-Traded Fund sees persistent buying pressure, with six straight days of inflows, including more than $3 million on Tuesday.

BoC expected to raise interest rates to 2.50%

The Bank of Canada is expected to raise its benchmark interest rate by 25 basis points to 2.50% on Wednesday, as persistent inflation concerns put pressure on policymakers to tighten monetary policy despite growing signs of economic weakness. According to a Reuters poll, 19 of 34 economists anticipate a rate hike, which would mark the central bank's first increase since July 2023.

Anthropic pledged $270 billion to Amazon, Google, and Microsoft. Here's who actually gets paid

Anthropic owes Amazon, Google, and Microsoft at least $269.4 billion for computing power, even if it uses less. All three sell its models and handle its billing, and Amazon and Google own stakes and lend it money, so they get paid regardless of how the IPO goes. The Dario Amodei-led Anthropic filed its initial public offering (IPO) on Monday, seeking a listing on the Nasdaq under the ticker ANT.