Franc is headed for its worst month since 2017

The franc is headed for its worst month in almost two years, bringing relief to Swiss policy makers seeking a weaker currency in their quest to revive inflation.

The franc has lost more than 2% of its value against the euro this month, a depreciation not matched since July 2017. The drop is spurring a re-think among some analysts, who are looking to revise their currency forecasts given the collapse in market volatility that has failed to boost demand for haven currencies.

“The negativity centered on the global economy is a little bit overdone,” which is rubbing off on the franc, said Jeremy Stretch, the head of G10 currency strategy at CIBC. “The SNB will probably be able to sleep a little easier over the course of the next few months than perhaps they were doing so at the end of the first quarter.”

Options traders are also increasingly bearish on the franc, with one-year risk reversals against the euro turning the most pessimistic since May. The SNB has been pursuing a weaker currency to stoke inflation that is still holding below 1% even after years of negative interest rates.