Switzerland: Franc Near Record Highs.

The Swiss franc traded around 0.78 per USD, near record highs, as investors evaluated the Swiss National Bank’s policy outlook following the latest inflation data. Ongoing safe-haven flows also lent support. Swiss inflation rose to 0.6% in April, its highest level in 16 months, driven by rising energy costs linked to the war in the Middle East. The increase marked a second consecutive acceleration and pushed the headline inflation rate above the 0.5% average projected by the SNB for this year and 2027 at its last policy meeting in March. Although the central bank expects the spike in costs to be temporary, with minimal change to medium-term price pressures, this offers breathing space for policymakers, who were previously confronting subdued inflation before the Iran war, driven by the strength of the franc. SNB Chairman Martin Schlegel said last month that higher energy prices should lift inflation further in coming quarters, while growth is likely to remain subdued in the near term.