empty
30.05.2022 11:42 AM
USD/CHF: Features and Trading Tips

USD/CHF refers to pairs with a direct currency quote and indicates how many units of the Swiss national currency (franc) are contained in one US dollar. The base currency in the USD/CHF pair is the US dollar. This means that the commodity in the USD/CHF pair is the US dollar, and the franc is the second currency in the pair, which buys the base currency (US dollar).

At the moment, the USD/CHF pair is trading on the Forex market at a price close to 0.9560. This means that for one US dollar they give 0.9560 Swiss francs.

Features of trading the USD/CHF pair

Both the dollar and the franc are highly liquid currencies. This means that at almost any moment there will be both buyers and sellers for the dollar or franc. The USD/CHF pair is actively traded throughout the trading day. The highest peak of trading activity with the franc and the USD/CHF pair and the largest trading volumes occur during the European session (06:00 – 16:00 GMT).

The franc, along with the yen, gold and other precious metals, has the status of a safe-haven asset and is in active demand among investors during periods of economic or political instability in the world or in certain regions of the world. However, it is worth noting that in recent years, due to active intervention in the auctions of the Swiss central bank, the importance of the franc as a protective asset has, to some extent, decreased. Moreover, the Swiss National Bank (SNB) never notifies of the currency intervention, as a rule, with the sale of the franc, neither before nor after the intervention.

From March 2015 until the beginning of 2020 (that is, before the start of the coronavirus pandemic), there was a tendency for the USD/CHF pair to move in ranges with a balance zone approximately between the levels of 0.9300, 1.0300. The range dynamics of the USD/CHF pair was formed after a well-known event, when on Thursday, January 15, 2015, the SNB "untied" the franc rate from the euro. The result of a jump of more than 1500 points in pairs with the franc, including in the USD/CHF pair, was then the bankruptcy of a number of Forex brokers.

The USD/CHF pair has fairly even volatility throughout the trading day. The intraday volatility of the pair fluctuates in different periods of the year. On average, it is up to 100 points (in a 4-digit quote), but it can rise sharply during the publication of important macroeconomic indicators for the United States or Switzerland. The surge in trading volatility in the USD/CHF pair occurs during the publication of important macroeconomic indicators of the two countries and the decisions of the Federal Reserve or the Swiss National Bank regarding monetary policy in the United States or Switzerland.

Press conferences of the central banks of the USA and Switzerland and statements by key figures of the central banks of the two countries sometimes cause no less volatility in the USD/CHF pair. Decisions to tighten the monetary policy of central banks lead, as a rule, to an increase in the value of national currencies. This fully applies to the dollar and the franc. And vice versa.

If the Federal Reserve or the Swiss National Bank demonstrates a tendency to ease monetary policy, then the dollar or the franc, respectively, weaken in the foreign exchange market and in relation to each other. Almost traditionally, the SNB considers the franc to be overbought and relatively expensive, which, according to the SNB, hinders the growth of the Swiss economy and harms the country's exporters. This should also be taken into account when the franc is excessively strengthening, including in the USD/CHF pair.

Still, the franc has not completely lost the status of a safe-haven currency, and therefore it has a fairly strong direct correlation with the yen, gold, which have the status of safe-haven assets in financial markets. Until January 15, 2015, the USD/CHF pair had an almost mirror image inverse correlation with the EUR/USD pair. The strong inverse correlation of pairs has declined markedly, but is still significant, especially during periods when no significant Eurozone or Swiss macroeconomic data are released, and when there are no extraordinary events of an economic or political nature.

Jurij Tolin,
Analytical expert of InstaForex
© 2007-2025
Select timeframe
5
min
15
min
30
min
1
hour
4
hours
1
day
1
week
Earn on cryptocurrency rate changes with InstaForex
Download MetaTrader 4 and open your first trade
  • Grand Choice
    Contest by
    InstaForex
    InstaForex always strives to help you
    fulfill your biggest dreams.
    JOIN CONTEST

Recommended Stories

The ECB May Cut Interest Rates Twice

The euro is showing a sharp rally against the U.S. dollar. The EUR/USD pair has already reached a three-year high and shows no signs of slowing down. Meanwhile, according

Jakub Novak 12:42 2025-04-11 UTC+2

AUD/USD. Analysis and Forecast

The AUD/USD pair is attempting to attract buyers in its rebound from the psychological level of 0.5900, marking its lowest point since March 2020. The upward momentum has managed

Irina Yanina 12:39 2025-04-11 UTC+2

Markets Face a Prolonged Period of Instability (USD/JPY and USD/CHF Likely to Continue Falling)

On Thursday, investors realized there is currently no such thing as stability. High market volatility remains and will continue to dominate for some time. The ongoing cause of this remains

Pati Gani 09:11 2025-04-11 UTC+2

The Market Has Grown Used to Chaos

What is life if not a game? In past years, investors focused on the standoff between the Federal Reserve and financial markets. But in 2025, the rules of the game

Marek Petkovich 08:42 2025-04-11 UTC+2

What to Pay Attention to on April 11? A Breakdown of Fundamental Events for Beginners

A relatively large number of macroeconomic events are scheduled for Friday, but none are expected to impact the market. Of course, we may see short-term reactions to individual reports

Paolo Greco 06:04 2025-04-11 UTC+2

GBP/USD Overview. April 11: The Market Didn't Believe Trump

The GBP/USD currency pair also traded higher on Thursday. As a reminder, macroeconomic and traditional fundamental factors currently have little to no influence on currency movements. The only thing that

Paolo Greco 03:28 2025-04-11 UTC+2

EUR/USD Overview. April 11: The American Comedy Continues

The EUR/USD currency pair declined sharply overnight on Wednesday but showed some recovery during the day. On Thursday, there was further growth—this series of fluctuations can only be described

Paolo Greco 03:28 2025-04-11 UTC+2

Trading Recommendations and Analysis for GBP/USD on April 11: The Dollar Takes a Double Hit

The GBP/USD currency pair also showed strong growth on Thursday, although not as strong as the EUR/USD pair. The pound gained only around 200 pips—which isn't a considerable move under

Paolo Greco 03:28 2025-04-11 UTC+2

EUR/USD. A Message from the Past: U.S. CPI Report Fails to Support the Dollar

The CPI report released on Thursday showed weaker-than-expected inflation. The market responded accordingly: the U.S. dollar came under renewed pressure (the U.S. Dollar Index fell into the 100.00 range)

Irina Manzenko 00:47 2025-04-11 UTC+2

The Euro Charges Ahead. Opponents Retreat

A rally in European stock indices, slowing U.S. inflation, and the fact that the average U.S. tariff has not changed significantly despite the 90-day deferral all contributed to the rise

Marek Petkovich 00:47 2025-04-11 UTC+2
Can't speak right now?
Ask your question in the chat.
Widget callback
 

Dear visitor,

Your IP address shows that you are currently located in the USA. If you are a resident of the United States, you are prohibited from using the services of InstaFintech Group including online trading, online transfers, deposit/withdrawal of funds, etc.

If you think you are seeing this message by mistake and your location is not the US, kindly proceed to the website. Otherwise, you must leave the website in order to comply with government restrictions.

Why does your IP address show your location as the USA?

  • - you are using a VPN provided by a hosting company based in the United States;
  • - your IP does not have proper WHOIS records;
  • - an error occurred in the WHOIS geolocation database.

Please confirm whether you are a US resident or not by clicking the relevant button below. If you choose the wrong option, being a US resident, you will not be able to open an account with InstaForex anyway.

We are sorry for any inconvenience caused by this message.