USD/CHF rebounds ahead of US labor data, edges higher to near 0.9030
- USD/CHF recovers its recent losses amid improved US Dollar.
- The escalated tension in the Middle East provided support for the safe-haven Swiss Franc.
- US Initial Jobless Claims came in at 221K against the market expectations of a 214K figure.
USD/CHF advances to near 0.9030 during the early European hours on Friday, which could be attributed to the recovery of the US Dollar (USD). The resurgence in the long-term yield on 10-year US bond coupons has bolstered the Greenback, thereby providing support for the USD/CHF pair.
On Thursday, the safe-haven Swiss Franc (CHF) gained strength as market caution heightened due to the escalated geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. This tension stems from Iran's vow to retaliate against Israel's attack on Iran's embassy in Syria, which resulted in the loss of Iranian military personnel.
The Swiss Consumer Price Index (CPI) for March indicated a month-over-month reading of 0.0%, falling short of expectations of 0.3% and the previous month's figure of 0.6%. On a year-over-year basis, the CPI increased by 1.0%, lower than the anticipated 1.3% and the previous reading of 1.2%. The softer-than-expected CPI data for March has raised expectations of another interest rate cut by the Swiss National Bank (SNB).
The US Dollar (USD) encountered downward pressure on Thursday due to weaker employment data from the United States (US), which supported the EUR/USD pair. However, neutral comments from several Federal Reserve officials helped alleviate the downward trend of the US Dollar.
Federal Reserve (Fed) Bank of Richmond President Thomas Barkin noted that disinflation is expected to persist, though the pace of this trend remains uncertain. Meanwhile, Loretta Mester, President of the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, expressed openness to reducing the pace of securities runoff from the Fed’s balance sheet soon. Additionally, she anticipated being in a position to lower the fed funds rate later this year.