Aug 19 (Reuters) - Euro zone government bond yields fell

on Monday as investors braced for a week packed with economic

data and a meeting of central bankers at Jackson Hole.

Investors will be looking at euro zone business activity

figures and negotiated wage growth data due later in the week,

which the European Central Bank will consider before its

September rate decision.

Germany's 10-year government bond yield, the

benchmark for the euro zone bloc, was down 3 basis points (bps)

at 2.23%.

Some analysts say that markets will face a reality check

late this week, after recent volatility, as investors and

central bankers return from holidays.

Euro area borrowing costs have tracked perceptions of risks

in the U.S. economy, with U.S. Treasury yields easing in London

trade on Monday, partly reversing Thursday's big gains as

investors digested data showing a resilient U.S. consumer and

inflation trending lower.

"The next few weeks will likely determine whether the

Federal Reserve ends up cutting by 50-75 bps this year or by 150

bps or more," said Ralf Pressuer, rate strategist at BofA. He

said the Jackson Hole conference was the first opportunity for

the Fed to push back against the implied chance of a 50 bps cut

at one of the remaining three meetings of the year.

"Pricing in less than 75 bps for the remainder of 2024 needs

confirmation that the July labour market report was indeed

weather distorted, as well as continued strength in ISM

services," he added.

Further weakness in economic data could lead to traders

pricing in successive 50-bp cuts.

Markets are discounting 95 bps of cuts by year-end.

A decline in euro zone count5ries' August flash PMIs, due on

Thursday, "would cast further doubt over prospects for the euro

area's growth rebound, and would potentially set the stage for

downward revisions to the ECB's growth forecast profile",

Barclays said in a note.

Meanwhile, an upside surprise in the second quarter euro

area negotiated wages indicator could lead to fresh nervousness

around inflationary second-round effects.

Money markets priced in around 65 bps of ECB rate cuts in

2024, implying two 25 bps moves and an

around 60% chance of a third cut.

Investors will scrutinize comments by ECB speakers on the

growth outlook amid rising risks to activity, especially in

Germany.

The spread between U.S. and German borrowing costs

was unchanged at 163 bps. It hit a 12-month low at

around 153 bps early this month.

Italy's 10-year yields dropped 4.5 bps to 3.60%,

with the yield gap between Italian and German bonds roughly

unchanged at 137 bps.

(Reporting by Stefano Rebaudo, editing by Emelia

Sithole-Matarise)