Central Banks

SNB Surprises With Half Point Rate Cut to Stem Gains in Franc

  • Swiss officials quicken easing to curb gains in currency
  • Central bank has cut at all four of this year’s meetings
WATCH: The Swiss National Bank halved its interest rate with a 50 basis-point cut on Thursday. Jana Randow reports.Source: Bloomberg
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The Swiss National Bank delivered a bigger-than-expected 50 basis-point interest-rate cut as it sought to head off gains in its currency.

Officials lowered their key benchmark to 0.5% on Thursday, a step predicted by only a small minority of economists surveyed by Bloomberg. Most anticipated a quarter-point move.