New Zealand shares slipped 46 points, or 0.3%, to 13,152 in Monday morning trade, extending losses for a second session as energy minerals, utilities, and healthcare weighed on sentiment. The NZX 50 hovered near a four-month low, pressured by local data showing a slowdown in service-sector growth for January and weaker credit card spending at the start of 2026, while caution persisted ahead of upcoming food inflation data. In the U.S., markets will be closed Monday for Presidents Day, though investors continued to weigh cooler-than-expected January inflation against concerns over the AI sector. Losses in local markets were partly capped by expectations that the RBNZ will hold cash rates steady in its first policy meeting of the year later this week. Among notable decliners were AFT Pharmaceuticals (-4.0%), Fletcher Building (-3.0%), Meridian Energy (-2.9%), and Channel Infrastructure (-2.1%).