Mumbai, July 18 -- The dollar index pulled back on Friday morning in Asia following a sharp spike to 3 and half week high in the previous session. Gains in the global reserve currency came on the back of firm US data which supported the Federal Reserve's (Fed) stance to hold rates unchanged. US retail sales rose 0.6% on month in June, well above the 0.1% forecast, rebounding from May's sharp 0.9% drop. Core retail sales, which exclude autos and gas, also climbed 0.5%, up from 0.2% previously. Initial jobless claims fell to 221,000 last week, below the expected 235,000, signaling ongoing tightness in the labor market. Meanwhile, the Philadelphia Fed manufacturing index surprised to the upside, surging to 15.9 in July from -4.0 in June, far...