ZURICH: The Swiss franc was unchanged on Thursday against the dollar, which perked up after the minutes of the US Federal Reserve's March meeting raised expectations it will scale back its bond-buying spree by the end of the year.
Such a possibility contrasts with the stance of the Bank of Japan Governor Haruhiko Kuroda, who signalled his readiness on Wednesday to offer further stimulus or maintain an ultra-easy policy beyond two years if meeting the bank's 2 percent inflation target proves difficult.
The dollar rose to as high as 99.88 yen late on Wednesday, having gained more than 7 percent on the yen since the BOJ last week unveiled a radical stimulus programme that even eclipsed the Federal Reserve's own massive plan.
The dollar's gains kept demand for the franc, which the Swiss National Bank capped at 1.20 per euro in 2011 in a bid to stave off deflation and a recession, in check.
"Investors are obviously feeling a little more confident, and that is reflected in the fact that there is slightly less demand for the franc as a haven," Bank Sarasin economist Alessandro Bee said.
The franc was unchanged against dollar to trade at 0.9324 by 0650 GMT compared to the New York close.
The franc was also flat against the euro.
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