Shares in New Zealand fell 23 points or 0.2% to around 13,284 on Thursday morning, marking the second straight session of losses. Sentiment weakened after a negative lead from Wall Street Wednesday, with investors turning cautious ahead of key U.S. inflation data due Friday and the Federal Reserve’s policy decision next week. Traders also awaited foreign direct investment figures for the first nine months of the year from China, New Zealand’s top trading partner, after a 12.7% slump in the previous period. Locally, attention turned to upcoming data on consumer and business sentiment for October, following reports in September showing weak consumer confidence and little improvement in business outlook. Still, losses were capped by optimism that the U.S. government shutdown could end this week, as suggested by White House adviser Kevin Hassett. Utilities and retail stocks weighed on the NZX 50, led by declines in Napier Port (-0.9%), Tourism Holdings (-0.8%), and Contact Energy (-0.6%).