* Euro hits 2-month high vs Swiss franc after SNB move
* Dollar edges up versus Swiss franc
* Japan not expected to consider intervening on yen
By Charlotte Cooper
TOKYO, March 13 (Reuters) - The euro rose to a two-month
high against the Swiss franc and the dollar also firmed against
the franc on Friday, after the Swiss National Bank said it
was intervening in the face of a growing risk of deflation.
The Swiss central bank cut rates on Thursday and said it
was implementing a decision to buy foreign currencies, driving
the euro up more than 3 percent and the dollar up more than 2.5
percent against the franc. [].
Traders said the central bank then sold francs, making it
the first major central bank in the global economic crisis to
use buying foreign currencies as a way to fight deflation and
raising the question whether other major economies, notably
Japan, would follow suit.
However, Masahiro Sato, joint general manager of the
treasury division at Mizuho Trust & Banking Co., said that
while smaller economies may feel pressure to weaken their
currencies the same would not apply to Japan, the world's
second-largest economy and a major global exporter.
"Competitive currency devaluation is not likely in Japan
now because the risks of sparking trade friction are too great.
The Swiss can get away with this because of the relatively
small size of their economy and the limited role they play in
the global economy," Sato said.
"A weaker currency is not necessarily a cure-all, because
it can fuel capital flight. Japan certainly doesn't want to
take on that risk. Japan's homework (task) from the G7 is
fiscal stimulus, so it should focus on that."
Japanese authorities have not intervened in the foreign
exchange market since March 2004 after a 15-month, 35 trillion
yen ($359 billion) selling spree aimed at preventing a strong
yen from snuffing out an economic recovery.
Toru Umemoto, chief FX strategist Japan at Barclays
Capital, said Japan had at that time faced difficulties when
other economies were in a much healthier state.
"Currently almost all countries are suffering from the
financial crisis and the global recession ... If Japan
intervened in the market currently it would be severely
criticised," he said.
Satoshi Okagawa, head of FX forward trading at Sumitomo
Mitsui Banking Corp, said after the SNB it remained to be seen
whether other central banks would take unconventional steps with
interest rates close to zero.
"The next focus will be whether the Federal Reserve will
start buying longer-term Treasuries, and any messages from the
Bank of Japan about its balance sheet in the future," he said.
G7 AND G20
Last October G7 finance ministers effectively gave Japan
the green light to intervene to weaken the yen, which was
soaring at the time, but Tokyo chose not to act.
Group of 20 financial leaders meet in England this weekend
to discuss how to fight the global economic crisis.
[]
Umemoto said they were likely to stress the need for
international cooperation and avoidance of protectionist
measures.
The euro gained 0.4 percent to 1.5364 francs <EURCHF> after
rising as high as 1.5400 on trading platform EBS, its highest
level in more than two months.
The franc slipped to 82.01 yen <CHFJPY=R>, although it was
above Thursday's two-week trough of 81.30 yen.
One trader said it was unclear if the SNB also sold
yen for francs on Thursday but it was unlikely, and even if it
had it would only have been a small amount.
The dollar also gained to 1.1918 francs <CHF=>, below
Thursday's three-month peak of 1.1969 on EBS.
Other currency pairs were steady although the yen rose in
early trade, with one analyst saying there may have been some
repatriation into Japan ahead of the fiscal year-end on March 31.
The dollar was steady at 97.67 yen <JPY=>. It hit a
four-month peak of 99.69 yen this month after strengthening
from a 13-year low of 87.10 yen in January, but failed to
climb above 100 yen as many were expecting.
The dollar index has also fallen from a three-year high
after shying at a technical level at 89.90. The loss of
momentum has seen it drop below an accelerated uptrend from a
December low.
The euro was steady at 126.06 yen <EURJPY=> after briefly
touching a two-month high at 126.57.
The euro slipped 0.1 percent to $1.2896 <EUR=>, after gaining
nearly 0.8 percent on Thursday.
(Additional reporting by Stanley White, Shinichi
Saoshiro and Kaori Kaneko; Editing by Michael Watson)
