With Interest Rates Of Negative .75, Swiss National Bank Ready To Go Even Lower If Necessary

by Chris Powell of the Gold Anti-Trust Action Committee (GATA)

Swiss Rates Can Be Lowered Further, SNB’s President Says

By Catherine Bosley
Bloomberg News
Saturday, April 20, 2019

The Swiss National Bank can lower its subzero interest rates even further, President Thomas Jordan told newspaper Blick.

In the interview, Jordan affirmed the ongoing need for a deposit rate of minus 0.75 percent plus a pledge to intervene in currency markets, if necessary, adding that the franc remains highly valued. The SNB had the tools to act, he said, should economic conditions deteriorate.

“We always have the possibility of lowering rates further. We have already gone quite far, but still we’ve got the necessary room to maneuver,” he was quoted as saying in comments published in today’s edition of the newspaper. “And we can, if necessary, expand the balance sheet further via interventions.”

The SNB’s interest rates are the lowest of any major central bank and are designed to keep pressure off the franc, which is regarded as a safe haven at times of market uncertainty. A strengthening franc depresses the inflation rate in Switzerland. …

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… For the remainder of the report:

www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-04-20/swiss-rates-can-be-lo…

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