Archived IMT (2010.07.06)

SWISS FRANC vs. GOLD IS HIGHEST PERFORMING currency against gold since June, +9%, followed by JPY and EUR, which are +5.5% and 3.7% against the yellow metal. CHF was the best performing currency in June after the Swiss National Bank is widely perceived to back off its sporadic interventions, as these have shifted from being an act of stabilization to catching a falling EURCHF knife. The francs safe haven allure has not only gained from outgoing Spanish and Greece funds, but also from Baltic and Eastern European investors. USDCHF has fallen for FIVE consecutive weeks, the longest since Q1 2008. 1.04 appears as a medium term support, but downside remains intact as no major event risks emerge against risk appetite. ASHRAF will be on CNBC-US Squawk at 7:30 EDT (11:30 GMT)