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- USD/CHF appreciates as the US Dollar remains stronger amid market caution ahead of further US-Iran peace talk updates.
- Traders price in the odds of the Fed holding interest rates steady at 3.50% to 3.75% this Wednesday.
- Money markets expect the Swiss National Bank to keep interest rates unchanged through the end of the year.
USD/CHF gains ground after registering modest losses in the previous day, trading around 0.7950 during the Asian hours on Tuesday. The pair appreciates as the US Dollar (USD) holds steady amid broad market caution. Investors remain on the defensive as they await further updates regarding Iran’s unresolved nuclear program.
Both Washington and Tehran have not released the official text of the agreement; major shipping lines are delaying vessel rerouting through the strategic waterway until full transparency is established.
Even though US President Donald Trump announced that a memorandum of understanding (MoU) has been signed to end the conflict and reopen the blockaded Strait of Hormuz, market participants remain deeply cautious. According to Iran’s semi-official Mehr news agency, the current draft calls for the strait to reopen within 30 days under Iranian arrangements.
The Federal Reserve (Fed) is widely expected to keep its benchmark interest rate unchanged at a target range of 3.50% to 3.75% on Wednesday, which could be attributed to the higher US inflation due to elevated energy prices linked to Middle East tensions. Traders will be closely monitoring the press conference for cues on how new Fed Chair Kevin Warsh intends to lead the central bank into its next era.
Sharp declines in oil prices have helped alleviate inflationary pressures, reducing expectations for further monetary tightening. Consequently, money markets are now pricing in no additional interest rate changes from the Swiss National Bank (SNB) for the remainder of the year.
This aligns with the latest data showing Swiss Producer and Import Prices fell 1.8% year-on-year in May. While this marks the softest pace of deflation in five months, easing from April’s 2.0% decline due to slower drops in import prices, the monthly figures caught markets off guard. On a month-over-month basis, the price index fell 0.4%, missing forecasts for a 0.4% increase and reversing April’s 0.8% gain.
