The Swiss franc gained ground on a softening dollar and edged higher against the euro on Friday as markets awaited a speech from US Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke for signs of further measures to bolster the struggling US economy. The franc rose 0.50 percent against the dollar compared to the New York close to trade at 0.7894 francs to the dollar. The franc ticked higher against the euro to trade at 1.1407 francs per euro.