BLBG:Switzerlaned’s Franc Weakens Versus Euro, Dollar on U.S. Debt-Ceiling Deal
The Swiss franc fell against the euro and the dollar after U.S. leaders yesterday brokered a deal to raise the nation’s debt limit, damping demand for safety.
Switzerland’s currency weakened against all but one of its major peers tracked by Bloomberg as appetite increased for riskier assets. Equity markets rose, with the benchmark Stoxx Europe 600 Index gaining nearly 1 percent.
“The Swiss franc is weakening on the back of the deal in the U.S.,” said Geoffrey Yu, a strategist at UBS AG in London. “The U.S., for now, is sorted. Focus now turns back to the euro-zone crisis.”
The Swiss currency weakened 1 percent to 1.1424 per euro as of 9:12 a.m. in London, after reaching a record 1.1272. The franc depreciated 0.9 percent to 79.27 centimes per dollar. It touched an all-time high of 78.51 centimes on July 29.
Votes are planned today in the House of Representatives and the Senate may follow suit to consider the agreement reached during a weekend of negotiations that broke a months-long stalemate between President Barack Obama and Republicans over raising the $14.3 trillion debt ceiling.
The strength of the franc against the euro and the dollar is here to stay, heralding some “extremely tough years” for exporters and the tourism industry, Swiss Economy Minister Johann Schneider-Ammann said yesterday.
To contact the reporter on this story: Emily Blewett in London at eblewett@bloomberg.net
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Daniel Tilles at dtilles@bloomberg.net