{
  "id": 9532899,
  "title": "Swiss National Bank holds rates as expected, despite rising inflation",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/24/swiss-national-bank-holds-rates-as-expected-despite-rising-inflation-9532899",
  "topic": "finance",
  "section": "Finance & Markets",
  "published": "2026-09-24T08:32:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Malaysia Today",
    "slug": "free-malaysia-today-freemalays",
    "url": "https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/business/2026/09/24/swiss-national-bank-holds-rates-as-expected-despite-rising-inflation"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Swiss National Bank (SNB) maintained its benchmark interest rate at 0% on Thursday, in line with forecasts from all economists and markets. This decision came despite concerns about rising inflation sparked by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. The SNB stated that medium-term inflationary pressures had only slightly increased and that its monetary policy was appropriate to keep inflation within a range that ensures price stability and supports economic growth. The central bank also mentioned its willingness to engage in foreign exchange market activities as needed to maintain suitable monetary conditions, though it had previously expressed a stronger willingness to intervene if the Swiss franc appreciated excessively. The Swiss franc experienced a slight weakening against major currencies following the decision, trading close to flat against the euro at 0.9395 francs and around 0.8247 francs against the US dollar. While Swiss inflation surged to its highest level in two years at 0.8% in August, driven by rising fuel prices due to the Iran conflict, this rise remained within the SNB's target range of 0%-2% for price stability. This inaction on interest rates differed from other major central banks, with the European Central Bank and the US Federal Reserve both opting to raise rates earlier this month. The Bank of England also maintained its interest rates unchanged last week but indicated potential increases if the Iran war persisted and energy prices continued to climb.",
  "summary": "The central bank resisted pressure to counter rising inflation caused by the war in the Middle East, which has prompted other central banks to hike borrowing costs.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "FXStreet",
        "title": "Swiss National Bank's Schlegel: Will continue to monitor situation and adjust policy if necessary",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/24/swiss-national-banks-schlegel-will-continue-to-monitor-situation-and",
        "published": "2026-09-24T08:11:08.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "Swiss National Bank holds rates as expected, despite rising inflation",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/24/swiss-national-bank-holds-rates-as-expected-despite-rising-inflation",
        "published": "2026-09-24T08:32:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}