SNB interest rate cliffhanger keeps economists guessing

Switzerland’s central bank is about to take another cliffhanger decision as officials weigh whether to use up one of their last interest-rate cuts before reaching zero. + Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox While investors and most forecasters anticipate the Swiss National Bank (SNB) to deliver a quarter-point reduction in the benchmark to 0.25%, a shifting backdrop has left the result on Thursday uncertain enough for UBS economists to describe it as “a coin toss.” + Switzerland navigates own course through inflation maze Tolerable low inflation, resilient economic growth, a weaker franc and limited policy space to fight strengthening speak in favour of leaving borrowing costs unchanged. But a rocky global trade environment threatened by United States President Donald Trump’s tariffs could yet prompt a long-predicted cut. The dilemma for SNB officials led by Martin Schlegel is tough enough to make their decision by far the most suspenseful among advanced ...