After a drop last autumn, the US dollar has climbed 5 percent against other currencies over the past two months.
A strong dollar helps Americans by making imports cheaper and keeping inflation low, but it can hurt US companies. Their goods become pricier overseas, and profits on sales abroad are worth less when converted to dollars.
The robust greenback is starting to affect earnings. Insurer Aflac, which does business in Japan, says earnings were hurt as the yen fell against the dollar. Procter & Gamble, which makes Crest toothpaste, said the stronger dollar was holding back its sales growth overseas.
Many analysts expect the dollar will continue to rise.