Thursday in early European deals, the Swiss franc eased from a 2-day high against the currencies of U.K. and Europe.
But the franc traded higher against the yen and the dollar.
In economic news from the euro-area, German labor market continued to show a positive employment trend in June, the Federal Statistical Office said today. The number of persons in employment living in Germany amounted to 40.3 million, an increase of 131,000 persons or 0.3% from a year ago.
Compared with May, the number of persons in employment rose by 41,000 in June, or 0.1%. After seasonal adjustment, there was a monthly increase of 32,000 persons, or 0.1%.
The producer price index, or PPI, on the French market remained unchanged on a monthly basis in June, the statistical office INSEE said today. Economists were looking for an increase of 0.3%.
Year-on-year, the PPI increased 3.5% in June, slower than 3.9% growth expected by economists.
On the equity front, most European stock markets are trading marginally higher today with the French CAC 40 Index is currently up by 0.04 percent, German DAX Index gaining 0.31 percent and the U.K.'s FTSE 100 Index rising by 0.39 percent.
The Swiss franc that fell to a 2-day low of 82.47 against the yen in early Thursday Asian deals reversed its course in late trading and reached as high as 83.09 around 3:10 am ET. The franc-yen pair that was worth 82.81 at Wednesday's close is currently quoted at 82.97.
Retail sales in Japan were up 3.2 percent on year in June, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said today, standing at 11.004 trillion yen. That was in line with analyst expectations following the 2.8 percent increase in May.
On a monthly basis, retail sales were down a seasonally adjusted 0.4 percent - again matching expectations following the 2.0 percent contraction in May.
The franc jumped to a 2-day high of 1.3710 against the euro and 1.6433 against the pound around 2:00 am ET and this may be compared to yesterday's closing values of 1.3733 and 1.6489, respectively.
But the franc weakened thereafter and is now worth 1.3755 against the euro and 1.6470 against the pound.
U.K. house prices fell in July for the first time since February, data from Nationwide Building Society showed today. House prices were down 0.5% month-on-month, after staying flat in June. The decline seen in July was larger than the expected fall of 0.3%.
There was a sizable fall in house price annual inflation to 6.6% in July from 8.7% in June. Consensus forecast was for 7% increase in house prices. Market conditions eased further as potential buyers still lack the confidence to purchase.
Extending its early Asian session's rally, the Swiss franc advanced to a 2-day high of 1.0519 against the US dollar around 2:45 am ET Thursday. Although the franc eased thereafter, it rebounded shortly and is now worth 1.0527.
On the upside, the next likely resistance for the domestic unit is seen around the 1.050 level. The greenback-franc pair that closed yesterday's deals at 1.0529 is presently quoted at 1.0547.
Looking ahead, the final numbers of the euro-zone consumer confidence report for July is expected at 5:00 am ET.
Across the Atlantic, market focus is likely to be on weekly jobless claims data for the weekended July 24, which is scheduled to be released at 8:30 am ET.
For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com
June 05, 2026 16:18 ET A busy week for economic news flow saw a slew of reports being released that reflected the trends in the U.S. labor market. In Europe, economic growth and inflation data gained attention as the European Central Bank and Bank of England head for policy session later in the month. In Asia, the monetary policy session of the Indian central bank was in focus as the country, a major oil importer, reels under the pressures of a weaker rupee and rising inflation.