|

USD/CHF steadies on trade optimism, Swiss deflation pressures

  • The US Dollar stabilizes against the Swiss Franc after Tuesday’s rebound.
  • Hopes of easing trade tensions between Washington and Beijing reduce demand for safe-haven assets.
  • Persistent deflation in Switzerland continues to pressure the Swiss National Bank.

The USD/CHF pair is down 0.10% on Wednesday, trading around 0.7950 at the time of writing, after bouncing from the 0.7900 area earlier this week. The US Dollar (USD) is holding steady against the Swiss Franc (CHF) for the week so far, with markets remaining cautious ahead of the upcoming US Consumer Price Index (CPI) report and next week’s Federal Reserve (Fed) monetary policy decision.

Investors reacted positively to reports that US President Donald Trump will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping later in the month in an attempt to ease trade tensions. This more optimistic tone has reduced demand for safe-haven assets, weighing on the Swiss Franc while modestly supporting the US Dollar.

However, the Greenback’s upside remains limited, as markets price in a 25-basis-point interest rate cut by the Fed next week, with a further easing move likely in December. Concerns about the gradual weakening of the US labor market are offsetting inflation fears related to trade tariffs.

In Switzerland, the CHF remains soft despite a moderate improvement in the trade surplus reported this week. Consumer prices continue to show a deflationary trend, maintaining pressure on the Swiss National Bank (SNB) to consider deeper negative interest rates to support growth and prevent excessive appreciation of the Franc.

Overall, USD/CHF remains in a consolidation phase as traders adopt a cautious stance ahead of major central bank decisions and upcoming inflation indicators in both the United States and Switzerland.

US Dollar Price Today

The table below shows the percentage change of US Dollar (USD) against listed major currencies today. US Dollar was the strongest against the British Pound.

USDEURGBPJPYCADAUDNZDCHF
USD-0.17%-0.00%-0.12%-0.31%-0.11%-0.15%-0.14%
EUR0.17%0.16%0.05%-0.14%0.05%0.04%0.02%
GBP0.00%-0.16%-0.10%-0.30%-0.10%-0.12%-0.13%
JPY0.12%-0.05%0.10%-0.21%-0.00%-0.02%-0.02%
CAD0.31%0.14%0.30%0.21%0.19%0.18%0.17%
AUD0.11%-0.05%0.10%0.00%-0.19%-0.02%-0.03%
NZD0.15%-0.04%0.12%0.02%-0.18%0.02%-0.02%
CHF0.14%-0.02%0.13%0.02%-0.17%0.03%0.02%

The heat map shows percentage changes of major currencies against each other. The base currency is picked from the left column, while the quote currency is picked from the top row. For example, if you pick the US Dollar from the left column and move along the horizontal line to the Japanese Yen, the percentage change displayed in the box will represent USD (base)/JPY (quote).

Author

Ghiles Guezout

Ghiles Guezout is a Market Analyst with a strong background in stock market investments, trading, and cryptocurrencies. He combines fundamental and technical analysis skills to identify market opportunities.

More from Ghiles Guezout
Share:

Editor's Picks

EUR/USD stays below 1.1850 after dismal German sentiment data

EUR/USD stays in negative territory below 1.1850 in the second half of the day on Tuesday. Renewed US Dollar strength, combined with a softer risk tone keep the pair undermined alongside downbeat German ZEW sentiment readings for February. 

GBP/USD falls toward 1.3550, pressured by weak UK jobs report

GBP/USD remains under bearish pressure and extends its decline below 1.3600 on Tuesday. The United Kingdom employment data suggested worsening labor market conditions, bolstering bets for a BoE interest rate cut next month and making it difficult for Pound Sterling to stay resilient against its peers.

Gold recovers modestly, stays deep in red below $4,950

Gold (XAU/USD) stages a rebound but remains deep in negative territory below $4,950 after touching its weakest level in over a week near $4,850 earlier in the day. Renewed US Dollar strength makes it difficult for XAU/USD to gather recovery momentum despite the risk-averse market atmosphere.

Canada CPI expected to show sticky inflation in January, still above BoC’s target

Economists see the headline CPI rising by 2.4% in a year to January, still above the BoC’s target and matching December’s increase. On a monthly basis, prices are expected to rise by 0.1%.

UK jobs market weakens, bolstering rate cut hopes

In the UK, the latest jobs report made for difficult reading. Nonetheless, this represents yet another reminder for the Bank of England that they need to act swiftly given the collapse in inflation expected over the coming months. 

Stellar mixed sentiment caps recovery

Stellar price remains under pressure, trading at $0.170 on Tuesday after failing to close above the key resistance on Sunday. The derivatives metric supports the bearish sentiment, with XLM’s short bets rising among traders and funding rates turning negative.