Financial markets kicked off the week on a cautious note after China’s Finance Ministry briefing at the weekend underwhelmed and a drop in factory prices reinforced concerns about the economy.

The Australian and New Zealand dollars slipped against the greenback in early trading on Monday, while China’s yuan also weakened. US stock futures edged lower, while the MSCI Asia-Pacific share index eked out a gain.

Investors will be monitoring markets after China’s Finance Minister Lan Fo’an vowed more support for the struggling property sector and hinted at greater government borrowing, without producing a headline monetary figure that markets had sought. Underscoring the extent of slack in the economy, data showed Chinese consumer prices were still weak and that factory-gate prices fell for a 24th straight month.

Brent crude dropped below $78 a barrel after China’s briefing lacked new steps to boost consumption in the world’s biggest importer. Separately, the Monetary Authority of Singapore kept its monetary settings unchanged for a sixth consecutive review.

“Markets are likely disappointed that China’s Finance Ministry did not unveil concrete additional stimulus,” Richard Franulovich, head of FX strategy at Westpac Banking Corp., wrote in a note to clients. “Though, a more conclusive market reading will come when China’s local markets open later Monday.”

Japanese markets were closed for a holiday on Monday, while Hong Kong trading will resume following a three-day weekend.

Patience has been wearing thin among investors, who have been waiting for more fiscal measures to help sustain the rally sparked by the stimulus blitz that authorities unleashed in late September. The CSI 300 Index, a benchmark of onshore equities, capped its biggest weekly loss since late July on Friday, while the Aussie and kiwi – proxies for China sentiment among developed market currencies – fell for two weeks running.

“With market participants looking to efficiently price certainty on China’s growth prospects, the lack of immediate clarity on China’s efforts to reflate the economy is unlikely to be taken well,” said Chris Weston, head of research at Pepperstone Group. “However, there was a message of strong intent and a defiant stance to hit its 5% GDP target, with a clear appetite for a sizable increase in the fiscal deficit and a potential move away from its 3% deficit limit – a factor that may limit any initial fallout in equity.”

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