Silver heads for longest weekly losing streak since 2014

Silver futures fell in American trade to near 2-1/5 year lows, even as the dollar index slid away from June 2017 highs, following earlier consumer data from the US, while investors look forward to a high-profile speech next week by Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell in Jackson Hole.

As of 05:24 GMT, silver futures due in September fell 0.67% to $14.62 an ounce, while the dollar index tumbled 0.39% against an array of major rivals to 96.27. 

From the US, the University of Michigan released its consumer sentiment survey for August, showing an unexpected drop to 95.3 from 97.9 in July, while analysts estimated 98.1. 

An index that combines 10 different economic indicators into a single one rose 0.6% in July, up from 0.5% in June, and beating estimates of 0.4%.