The New Zealand dollar traded flat around $0.583 on Monday as investors looked ahead to the Reserve Bank’s policy decision this week. The central bank is anticipated to lower its official cash rate from 3% on Wednesday, with markets fully pricing in a 25-basis-point cut and assigning about a 30% chance of a larger 50-basis-point move, following a series of weak economic data. Economists view this as a dovish shift, signaling the likelihood of further easing ahead. Meanwhile, downside pressure from the dovish outlook may be limited as the US dollar could come under renewed pressure amid growing concerns over the economic fallout from the ongoing government shutdown. Recent US data have also strengthened expectations for Fed rate cuts, with markets nearly fully pricing in a quarter-point reduction this month and another in December — developments that could eventually weigh on the greenback.