Early trade in New York: dollar index on track for best run in 17 years

The dollar was steady on Friday at six-year highs against the yen, and the dollar index was headed for a ninth consecutive week of gains after strong retail sales data added to expectations that US growth is gaining steam. US retail sales rose broadly in August, which should ease some concerns about consumer spending and support expectations for sturdy growth in the third quarter.
The dollar index, which measures the greenback against a basket of major currencies, was last down 0.02 percent at 84.279 and was on track for the longest winning streak since 1997. The dollar touched a high of 107.39 yen, its strongest since September 2008, and last traded at 107.28, up 0.17 percent on the day.