USD/CHF drops to 0.9165 area, retreats further from one-week high despite risk-on

The USD/CHF pair struggles to capitalize on its modest intraday gains and attracts fresh sellers near the 0.9220-0.9225 area, or a one-week high touched earlier this Wednesday. The pair drops to the 0.9165 region during the first half of the European session and has now reversed a major part of the previous day's gains.

Against the backdrop of the Federal Reserve's (Fed) less hawkish stance, a fresh leg down in the US Treasury bond yields is seen weighing on the US Dollar (USD) and exerting some downward pressure on the USD/CHF pair. It is worth recalling that the US central bank last week toned down its approach to reining in inflation and signalled that a pause to interest rate hikes was on the horizon in the wake of the recent turmoil in the banking sector. This, in turn, keeps the USD bulls on the defensive and continues to act as a headwind for the USD/CHF pair.

Even the prevalent risk-on mood – as depicted by a generally positive tone around the equity markets – does little to weigh on the safe-haven Swiss Franc (CHF) or lend any support to the USD/CHF pair. This, in turn, suggests that the path of least resistance for spot prices is to the downside and any attempted recovery move is more likely to get sold into. That said, the range-bound price action witnessed over the past week or so points to indecision over the next leg of a directional move for the major and warrants some caution for aggressive traders.

Market participants now look to the Swiss National Bank's (SNB) Quarterly Bulletin for fresh clues about the domestic economy, especially after the recent developments surrounding the Credit Suisse saga. The US economic docket, meanwhile, features the release of Pending Homes Sales data, which, along with the US bond yields, might influence the USD and provide some impetus to the USD/CHF pair. The market focus, however, will remain glued firmly to the US Core PCE Price Index, the Fed's preferred inflation gauge - due on Friday.

Technical levels to watch