The U.S. dollar could build on its strong gains this year, even with the Federal Reserve not raising rates, as the United States’ economic prospects near term look far less grim than those of other countries. The dollar index, which tracks the greenback’s performance against a basket of six currencies, is up more than 1 percent in 2019. Last week, it reached its highest level since Feb. 15. Against the euro, the dollar is up 2 percent this year and notched its biggest weekly gain in six months on Friday. The dollar’s rise defies the consensus from earlier in the year that the U.S. currency would go down as the ... (full story)