USD/CHF stands on slippery grounds as it drops to 0.9170 during Thursday’s Asian session. In doing so, the Swiss Franc (CHF) pair renews its intraday low to extend the previous day’s pullback from the weekly high.
The quote’s latest south-run seems to take the clues from the broad US Dollar weakness, as well as upbeat Swiss data. That said, the Swiss Zew Survey – Expectations improved to the highest levels since March 2022 while flagging -40.0 figure versus -47.6 expected and -42.8 prior.
On the other hand, the US Dollar Index (DXY) remained on the back foot while bracing for the third consecutive weekly loss around 101.65 as hopes of a dovish Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) grew stronger. “Traders broadly expect the Fed to increase rates by 25 basis points (bps) next Wednesday, a step down from a 50 bps increase in December,” said Reuters.
It should be noted that dicey markets and a lack of major data/events, not to forget the Fed blackout period and Chinese holidays, also allowed the USD/CHF bears to keep the reins. While portraying the mood, as well as taking clues from the mixed earnings report, Wall Street closed mixed and the US Treasury bond yields remained sidelined near 3.45.
Moving on, a slew of US data will entertain the USD/CHF traders even if the Fed policymakers’ absence from the podium tests momentum. Among them, the first readings of the US fourth quarter (Q4) Gross Domestic Product (GDP), expected to print annualized growth of 2.6% versus 3.2% prior, will be crucial amid the recession talks. Additionally important will be the US Durable Goods Orders for December and the Q4 Personal Consumption Expenditure (PCE) data.
Also read: US Gross Domestic Product Preview: Three reasons to expect a US Dollar-boosting outcome
A clear downside break of one-week-old ascending trend line, now resistance near 0.9250, directs USD/CHF towards the yearly low marked in the last week around 0.9085.