Those worries, together with the rise in oil prices, have helped to push up long-term interest rates even as recession fears were also mounting.

Economists believe that higher interest rates and recession fears may be affecting sales.

Silver, gold and platinum futures prices fell sharply amid recession fears.

At the moment, the recession fears are receding again, largely because there are encouraging signs on the interest rate front.

Like copper, prices of platinum, an industrial metal, fell dramatically when recession fears were on the rise.

The sagging stock market early last week reflected unwarranted recession fears, which are likely to fade.

Treasury bond prices jumped, and, after some hesitation, the stock market decided that the good news of lower rates outweighed recession fears.

But it is not only recession fears which drive down the pound.

For now, recession fears are on the rise on Wall Street.

If those concerns turn into recession fears, the whole stock market could be risky.