ZURICH: The Swiss franc has fallen to its cheapest level against the euro since January 2015, when the Swiss National Bank stunned markets by abandoning a cap that limited the currency’s strength.
A weaker “Swissie” helps the economy, and at some point could see the central bank begin to talk publicly about reversing negative interest rates and normalising a monetary policy that has led it to buy everything from German Bunds to US shares.
Shares in the SNB, which are listed, doubled this year. At a time when both bonds and stocks are being influenced by expectations for central bank tightening, any move from the SNB would have important implications for financial markets.
Although Thomas Jordan, SNB chairman, has a chance to comment on the franc at Friday’s annual shareholders’ meeting, the next scheduled monetary policy meeting is not until June. Here are some key questions facing investors.