US recession risk appeared to ease in the wake of last week’s encouraging updates for retail sales and jobless claims. Will the better-than-expected numbers delay the widely expected rate cut that markets are pricing in for the Federal Reserve’s Sep. 18 policy meeting?

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* Federal Reserve’s Jackson Hole Symposium in focus this week for markets
* Goldman Sachs cuts odds of US recession to 20% after upbeat economic data
* Start-up business failures rise 60% in US vs year-ago level
* Gold trades at record high and analysts expect the rally to continue
* Trump’s plans for raising tariffs is a key uncertainty factor for markets
* US consumer sentiment “essentially unchanged” for fourth month in August:

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