- The dollar climbed higher Friday after GDP crushed estimates. The US dollar index was up by 0.5% at 95.10 at 8:43 a.m. ET. Data from the Commerce Department showed that GDP increased by 3% in the third quarter, even after hurricanes disrupted activity in parts of the country. Economists had forecast that growth slowed from the second quarter to an annualized pace of 2.6%. The US dollar index is up by nearly 3.5% since early September.