USD/CHF holds below 0.8550 on heightened risk aversion, SNB to adopt a proactive approach

USD/CHF remains below 0.8550 as risk aversion increases the safe-haven CHF demand.
Shipping firms to return to the Red Sea despite Iran’s threat to close the Gibraltar Strait.
Former Dallas Fed President Robert Kaplan expects the Fed not to become overly restrictive.

Akhtar Faruqui FXStreet

USD/CHF pair is relatively quiet, hovering around 0.8540 during the early European hours on Wednesday. Heightened risk aversion seems to lead to the increased demand for safe-haven currencies like the Swiss Franc (CHF).

There are concerns about Iran potentially closing the Gibraltar Strait, many doubt the feasibility of such an action. However, major shipping firms have started to return to the Red Sea, indicating a tentative normalization with the deployment of a multinational task force in the region.

The Swiss National Bank (SNB) is poised to adopt a proactive approach, as revealed in its recent Quarterly Bulletin. The SNB has communicated its readiness to intervene actively in the foreign exchange market when deemed necessary. This signals a hawkish stance, indicating the bank's commitment to managing currency dynamics and supporting the Swiss Franc (CHF).

The US Dollar Index (DXY) moves above 101.50 amid 2-year and 10-year yields on US bond coupons are trading lower, standing at 4.29% and 3.87%, respectively, by the press time. This decline in yields contributes to the overall subdued performance of the US Dollar (USD) in the market.

Former Dallas Federal Reserve President Robert Kaplan's sentiments align with the notion that the central bank is treading cautiously. Kaplan emphasizes the Federal Reserve's historical mistake of maintaining prolonged excessive accommodation even as the economy improved. According to Kaplan, the central bank is now exercising caution to avoid a similar error on the flip side, being mindful not to become overly restrictive.

The upcoming Thursday holds the promise of valuable insights into the economic landscape as the United States (US) is scheduled to release Initial Jobless Claims and Pending Home Sales data. These indicators play a crucial role in understanding the health of the labor market and the real estate sector, providing investors with essential information for assessing the overall economic condition.

USD/CHF: technical levels to watch

Overview
Today last price	0.8546
Today Daily Change	0.0012
Today Daily Change %	0.14
Today daily open	0.8534

Trends
Daily SMA20	0.8687
Daily SMA50	0.884
Daily SMA100	0.8895
Daily SMA200	0.8914

Levels
Previous Daily High	0.858
Previous Daily Low	0.8532
Previous Weekly High	0.8712
Previous Weekly Low	0.8514
Previous Monthly High	0.9113
Previous Monthly Low	0.8685
Daily Fibonacci 38.2%	0.855
Daily Fibonacci 61.8%	0.8562
Daily Pivot Point S1	0.8517
Daily Pivot Point S2	0.85
Daily Pivot Point S3	0.8468
Daily Pivot Point R1	0.8566
Daily Pivot Point R2	0.8597
Daily Pivot Point R3	0.8614

Author

Akhtar Faruqui

FXStreet

Akhtar Faruqui is a Forex Analyst based in New Delhi, India. With a keen eye for market trends and a passion for dissecting complex financial dynamics, he is dedicated to delivering accurate and insightful Forex news and analysis.

EUR/USD recedes to daily lows near 1.1850

EUR/USD keeps its bearish momentum well in place, slipping back to the area of 1.1850 to hit daily lows on Monday. The pair’s continuation of the leg lower comes amid decent gains in the US Dollar in a context of scarce volatility and thin trade conditions due to the inactivity in the US markets.

GBP/USD resumes the downtrend, back to the low-1.3600s

GBP/USD rapidly leaves behind Friday’s decent advance, refocusing on the downside and retreating to the 1.3630 region at the beginning of the week. In the meantime, the British Pound is expected to remain under the microscope ahead of the release of the key UK labour market report on Tuesday.

Gold looks inconclusive around $5,000

Gold partially fades Friday’s strong recovery, orbiting around the key $5,000 region per troy ounce in a context of humble gains in the Greenback on Monday. Additing to the vacillating mood, trade conditions remain thin amid the observance of the Presidents Day holiday in the US.

Bitcoin consolidates as on-chain data show mixed signals

Bitcoin price has consolidated between $65,700 and $72,000 over the past nine days, with no clear directional bias. US-listed spot ETFs recorded a $359.91 million weekly outflow, marking the fourth consecutive week of withdrawals.

The week ahead: Key inflation readings and why the AI trade could be overdone

It is likely to be a quiet start to the week, with US markets closed on Monday for Presidents Day. European markets are higher across the board and gold is clinging to the $5,000 level after the tamer than expected CPI report in the US reduced haven flows to precious metals.

XRP steadies in narrow range as fund inflows, futures interest rise

Ripple is trading in a narrow range between $1.45 (immediate support) and $1.50 (resistance) at the time of writing on Monday. The remittance token extended its recovery last week, peaking at $1.67 on Sunday from the weekly open at $1.43.