Two more pieces of positive news to add to the sometimes conflicting economic signals of recent months.

— The private Institute for Supply Management says its index of activity in the manufacturing sector rose to 55.7 in October from 52.6 in September. It's the third straight that the index, designed to gauge the factory sector's health, went up. Any reading above 50 is supposed to indicate that the manufacturing sector is expanding. (Click here for an Associated Press story.)

— The Commerce Department says construction spending went up 0.8% in September from August. The increase was well above economists' forecast of a 0.3% rise. One cautionary note: Commerce now says construction spending rose just 0.1% in August, not the 0.8% it earlier estimated. (Click here for an Associated Press story.)

Stocks are trading higher in New York.

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