Australian shares slip as Greek worries weigh

(Adds analysis, quotes, stocks on the move)

SYDNEY/WELLINGTON, Feb 17 (Reuters) - Australia's share market eased on Tuesday, reflecting a cautious mood throughout Asia after talks between Athens and its European lenders over Greece's debt crisis broke down.

The outcome disappointed investors and prolonged the uncertainty surrounding Athens, which now has until Friday to request an extension of its bailout package or risk running out of funds by the end of the month.

The S&P/ASX 200 index was 23.4 points, or 0.4 percent, lower at 5,865.3 by 0148 GMT. Still, the benchmark index remained within striking distance of a seven-year peak of 5,893.50 set recently.

Earnings results from the likes of ANZ and Fortescue were the highlights for this session.

ANZ shares fell 2.3 percent to A$35.04 after the bank warned that 2015 was shaping up to be a "slightly tougher, more volatile" environment.

Also not helping the market, expectations that the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) will deliver a follow-up interest rate cut next month were dealt a blow.

Minutes of the RBA's Feb. 3 meeting showed the bank debated whether to delay the cut, suggesting this month's move might not have been as urgent as markets imagined.

"Amid much debate over the timing of the next cut, today's concluding paragraph seemed to hose down expectations of a follow-up March move," said Su-Lin Ong, senior economist at RBC (Other OTC: RBCI - news) .

New Zealand's benchmark NZX50 index slipped 0.1 percent to 5,755.0, held back by selling in dual-listed ANZ which kept the index away from a lifetime high near 5,800 hit earlier this month.

New Zealand's largest bank reached a two-week low of NZ$36.00.

NZX fell 3.3 percent to NZ$1.17 after the stock exchange operator reported an 8.2 percent rise in full-year profit to NZ$13.1 million, short of some analyst forecasts for about NZ$15 million.

Property for Industry (NZSE: PFI.NZ - news) edged up 0.6 percent to NZ$1.63, matching a lifetime high hit late last week, after the industrial property investor announced a 4.8 percent rise in full-year profit.

Losses were offset by gains in Fisher&Paykel Healthcare , which gained 1.2 percent to a lifetime high of NZ$6.53.

Brokers said the medical equipment maker continued to rise on growing optimism that it was taking market share from Australia's ResMed (NYSE: RMD - news) in the obstructive sleep apnea equipment space. (Reporting by Ian Chua in SYDNEY and Naomi Tajitsu in WELLINGTON; Editing by Stephen Coates)