Swiss franc steady against US dollar

07 May, 2004

The Swiss franc was little changed against the dollar in early trade on Thursday ahead of Friday's key US employment data that will be eyed for fresh clues about the strength of the US recovery and the prospect of higher US interest rates, traders said.
The dollar was marginally weaker at 1.2749/53 francs, compared to levels around 1.2765 late on Wednesday. The euro was at 1.5502/13 francs, just a touch above the levels around 1.5495 late on Wednesday.
The dollar, which has risen steadily against the franc since the start of the year amid expectations of rising US interest rates, lost some ground in recent days as markets reassessed the speed and aggressiveness with which the Fed is expected to start tightening policy. Higher US rates would make dollar holdings more attractive.
The Fed said after its policy meeting on Tuesday that price risks to the US economy were balanced and it would move at a "measured" pace, tempering expectations of a sharp rate rise.
In Switzerland, consumer price data released on Wednesday showed inflation crept higher in April as stores marked up clothing costs after clearing out winter stock, but the increase appeared unlikely to cause alarm at the central bank.

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