- USD/CHF extends its upside to near 0.8075 in Friday’s early European session.
- US Vice President JD Vance pulled out of a planned trip to Switzerland for talks with Iran.
- SNB left its key interest rate at 0%, with a focus on currency risks.
The USD/CHF pair advances to around 0.8075, the highest since December 10, 2025, during the early European session on Friday. The US Dollar (USD) strengthens against the Swiss Franc (CHF) as the Federal Reserve (Fed) officials left interest rates unchanged at its June policy meeting and signaled the possibility of higher rates later this year.
Hawkish signals from the Fed provide some support to the Greenback. On Wednesday, the US central bank decided to hold its benchmark interest rate steady between 3.50% and 3.75% after Kevin Warsh’s first meeting in charge of the central bank. Warsh said during the press conference that “price stability” would be the Fed’s guiding principle.
Futures traders have priced in that the Fed is likely to raise rates by 25 basis points (bps) at its September meeting, with some chance seen of a move as soon as next month’s meeting.
On the geopolitical front, US Vice President JD Vance cancelled a planned trip to meet Iranian negotiators in Switzerland to begin complex talks on implementing a 14-point agreement struck between Tehran and Washington to end their war. Traders will closely watch the US-Iran peace deal developments. Uncertainty in the Middle East could underpin the USD against the CHF in the near term.
The Swiss National Bank (SNB) left its main policy rate unchanged at 0% on Thursday, as widely expected by markets, keeping borrowing costs well below those seen in other major economies. The SNB also said that it is ready to intervene in foreign exchange markets if a rebound in demand for the safe-haven franc drives the currency higher.
