New Zealand’s services sector showed signs of stabilising in July, with the seasonally adjusted Performance of Services Index edging up to 48.9 from 47.3 the previous month, according to the Bank of New Zealand and BusinessNZ. Although the reading remains below the 50-point mark that separates expansion from contraction, the improvement suggests demand is gradually firming after a weak second quarter. In the United States, separate data from the Census Bureau indicated retail and food-services sales rose 0.5% in July to a seasonally adjusted $726.3 billion. June sales were revised higher, now showing a 0.9% increase versus the previously reported 0.6%. The firmer retail figures point to resilient consumer spending despite higher borrowing costs and lingering price pressures.