The S&P 500 and Nasdaq stock index futures hit contract lows Monday as risk aversion remains keener to start the month of October, which history shows can be a rocky period for the stock and financial markets. The two indexes last Friday produced technically bearish weekly, monthly and quarterly low closes. The bears are in strong command to suggest more downside price pressure in the near term. There are no solid, early clues to suggest market bottoms are close at hand. You will get those early clues on price trend changes in all the markets from reading my daily market updates that come out in the afternoons.—Stay tuned. Jim Wyckoff