Swiss franc softens versus euro

The Swiss franc trod water on Friday after the previous session's sharp losses against the euro as markets were eyeing the Irish debt crisis to see if the country were to accept help from the European Union. Hopes that Ireland was near a deal to shore up its banks and get its budget deficit under control boosted the euro on Thursday, driving it some 1.3 percent higher against the franc.
The key level short-term was now 1.3600 franc per euro, and a break could re-open 1.3700, he said. The franc was little changed against the euro compared to the New York close, trading at 1.3578 per euro. The franc was 0.4 percent firmer against the dollar at 0.9921 per dollar as the Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke's full-throated defence against criticism of the bank's controversial bond-buying programme was weighing on the dollar.