NEW YORK - The dollar is trading higher, boosted by encouraging - if incremental - news about the U.S. economy.

The dollar is up against key currencies including the euro and the British pound. It's also up against the Japanese yen and the Swiss franc, which, like the dollar, are considered safer investments that people flock to when they're nervous about the economy.

The euro is down to $1.2459 from $1.2499. The British pound is down to $1.5559 from $1.5639.

The dollar is up to 79.75 Japanese yen from 79.47 yen, up to 1.0258 Canadian dollar from 1.0240 Canadian dollar, and up to 0.9640 Swiss franc from 0.9609 Swiss franc.

The U.S. stock market is up, propelled by encouraging news about home sales and businesses' orders for durable goods.