Swiss National Bank hikes interest rate by 75 basis points

Reuters file photo
Switzerland’s national flag flies in front of the headquarters of Swiss bank Credit Suisse in Zurich in July.

ZURICH (Reuters) — The Swiss National Bank raised its policy interest rate by 0.75 percentage point on Thursday — only the second increase in 15 years — as it joined other central banks in tightening monetary policy to curb rising prices.

The SNB increased its policy rate to 0.5% from the minus 0.25% level it set in June. Previously Swiss rates had been frozen at minus 0.75% for years as the SNB tried to tame the appreciation of the Swiss franc.

Most economists polled by Reuters had expected the SNB to raise its policy rate to 0.5%.