Stock futures slip as ECB hopes give way to angst

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stock index futures slipped on Thursday as hopes about European Central Bank action to tackle the bloc's crisis grew stale, giving way to angst after European and U.S. equity benchmarks hit multi-month highs.

However, Chinese economic data kept alive talk that central banks will intervene to support the global economy as annual growth in factory output slowed to its weakest in more than three years in July while annual consumer price inflation hit a 30-month low.

On the macro front, investors awaited weekly jobless claims, due at 8:30 a.m. EDT (1230 GMT), as well as wholesale inventories, due at 10 a.m. (1400 GMT).

The S&P 500, up for five weeks and near 4-year highs, has risen as investors bet central banks, including the Federal Reserve, will soon act in support of a stalling global economic recovery.

"The Europeans indicated their strong support but have yet to take any actual action, the Fed has indicated strong support but is yet to take any action, leaving professional investors fearful of shorting the market," said Rick Meckler, president of investment firm LibertyView Capital Management in New York.

"But there aren't more reasons for investors to go much longer either."

S&P 500 futures fell 3 points and were below fair value, a formula that evaluates pricing by taking into account interest rates, dividends and time to expiration on the contract. Dow Jones industrial average futures fell 20 points and Nasdaq 100 futures dipped 2 points.

Nestle , the world's biggest food group, said first-half results beat expectations and it expects pressure from the high prices of basic foodstuffs to ease in the second half of the year.

Kohl's Corp reported a better-than-expected second-quarter profit despite weak sales as the department store chain reined in its costs.

Several private equity firms that have been approached to join in a buyout of Best Buy are sitting on the fence, private equity sources said, citing the lack of a tangible plan by the retailer's founder Richard Schulze, and doubts about his ability to pull the deal off.

(Reporting by Rodrigo Campos)