The Swiss franc firmed to around 0.79 per USD, its highest level since July 1st, amid a weaker dollar as speculation about a “dovish cut” by the Fed increases. Traders are pricing in a near-certain 25-bps rate cut, and expect the central bank to continue lowering rates. Persistent political and fiscal concerns in France and Japan, along with geopolitical tensions, also underpin safe-haven demand for the franc. In the Swiss economy, the latest figures confirmed a persistent disinflationary trend. Producer and import prices declined again in August, down 1.8% year-on-year and 0.6% month-on-month. Meanwhile, Swiss CPI rose 0.2% in August as expected, marking the third straight month of positive inflation and remaining within the SNB’s 0%-2% target range. Despite subdued inflation, SNB Chairman Martin Schlegel recently noted the risks of negative rates for savers and pension funds, signaling the bank’s reluctance to cut below zero.