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Short USD/CHF: A High-Conviction Bearish Play on Dollar Weakness

Short USD/CHF: A High-Conviction Bearish Play on Dollar Weakness

USD/CHF

The USD/CHF currency pair currently offers one of the most attractive bearish opportunities in the forex market. With US economic data deteriorating across key indicators and Switzerland maintaining a position of relative macroeconomic strength, the fundamentals, sentiment, and technicals align to support further downside in this pair.

Fundamental Analysis

The economic divergence between the United States and Switzerland has become increasingly pronounced. The US economy contracted by 0.3% in the most recent quarter, while Switzerland posted modest but positive growth of 0.2%. Although both countries reported annual GDP growth of 1.5%, the forward trajectory is what matters most. The US economy is clearly decelerating, with weakening inflation and falling consumer confidence pointing toward reduced momentum.

From a monetary policy perspective, the Federal Reserve is expected to begin cutting rates, as inflation slows markedly—monthly CPI came in at -0.1%, while the year-on-year rate dropped to 2.4%. The Swiss National Bank, however, has far less pressure to move. Inflation in Switzerland remains extremely low but stable at 0.3%, giving the SNB room to maintain its current 0.25% policy rate without undermining its price stability mandate.

External balances further reinforce Swiss strength. Switzerland runs a current account surplus of 7.6% of GDP, while the US suffers from a deficit of -3.9%. The trade balance shows a similar story: the Swiss posted a surplus of CHF 5.3 billion, whereas the US recorded a deficit of -$123 billion. Fiscal prudence in Switzerland also stands in contrast to the US, where the government budget is now at -6.2% of GDP, compared to a surplus of 0.4% in Switzerland. Government debt sits at 122% of GDP in the US versus just 37.9% in Switzerland.

Overall, the fundamental backdrop points decisively in favour of the franc and against the dollar.

Sentiment Analysis

Market sentiment further supports the bearish USD/CHF case. US consumer confidence has fallen sharply, from 57 to 52.2, reflecting growing anxiety over economic prospects. In contrast, Swiss business confidence remains extremely high at 97.1, the strongest among all major currencies, indicating broad domestic confidence in Switzerland’s economic outlook.

Expectations for central bank policy also feed into the narrative. Markets are increasingly dovish on the Fed due to softening inflation and weak GDP, while the SNB is perceived as being on hold. This puts the Swiss franc in a favourable position to appreciate as the yield differential begins to contract.

Positioning is also a factor. The US dollar had enjoyed broad strength in 2022 and 2023 due to high US rates, but with those tailwinds now reversing, speculative positioning is starting to unwind, especially against defensive, surplus-backed currencies like CHF.

Technical Analysis

From a technical perspective, USD/CHF remains decisively bearish. The pair is trading at 0.9079, well below both the Tenkan-sen (0.9100) and Kijun-sen (0.9116), with the price still held below the Ichimoku Cloud. This alignment indicates continued downside pressure, with no bullish signals confirmed.

The future Kumo is slightly bearish, as Leading Span B (0.9119) remains above Span A (0.9083), and the Chikou Span remains positioned below the price, validating the bearish trend. The RSI sits at 48.01, just under the neutral 50 mark, reflecting mild bearish momentum without being oversold. Meanwhile, the MACD has crossed lower, with the histogram turning negative, adding confirmation to the downside momentum.

From a price action perspective, the structure continues to print lower highs and lower lows, with strong resistance at the 0.9100–0.9120 zone. Immediate support lies at the psychological 0.9000 handle, followed by the March low at 0.8930. Volume remains steady, but notably, no meaningful buying interest has emerged to challenge the prevailing trend.

Conclusion

All core analytical dimensions—fundamentals, sentiment, technicals, and macro policy outlook—point toward further downside in USD/CHF. The pair is fundamentally misaligned, sentiment is deteriorating in the US while remaining strong in Switzerland, and technical conditions show a firmly entrenched downtrend.

Unless the US economy delivers an unexpected resurgence or the SNB makes a surprise dovish pivot, rallies in USD/CHF should be viewed as opportunities to short into strength.

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