With interest rates close to zero, the SNB created additional Swiss franc liquidity through foreign exchange market interventions. This prevented the rise in the value of the Swiss franc from leading to what at the time would have been an undesirable tightening of monetary conditions. The foreign exchange reserves therefore surged from around CHF 50 billion at the end of 2008 to a good CHF 200 billion by the end of 2010. A direct consequence of our much larger balance sheet is the increase in the financial risks associated with our foreign exchange reserves. These risks have materialised in the last 12 months, and have led to significant losses for the SNB. They hold the potential for further losses. Just as the increase in our foreign exchange reserves was determined by the demands of monetary policy under the exceptional circumstances that prevailed in 2009 and 2010, monetary policy considerations will continue to dictate our actions in the future. This means, in particular, that selling our foreign exchange reserves (and buying Swiss francs) is not an option at the moment. Monetary policy also dictates that our currency risks not be hedged. In effect, hedging the exchange rate risk using derivatives would be equivalent to buying Swiss francs against foreign exchange for forward delivery. The effect of hedging on the market is thus comparable to the direct sale of foreign currency.
It is thus due to the instruments available on the market that the largest part of our foreign currency investments is in euros (55%) and in US dollars (25%). The remainder of our investments is composed of yen (10%), Canadian dollars (4%), pounds sterling (3%) and other currencies (3%). Finally, taking a general and somewhat longer-term view, the following point should be noted. The SNB’s currency reserves are made up of foreign currency investments and gold. In a risk-averse environment, losses tend to occur on foreign currency investments and profits on gold, while in a risk-friendly environment the opposite is true. Consequently, diversification of a portfolio to include gold and foreign currency helps to stabilise earnings over an entire risk cycle. BIS central bankers’ speeches  3