Futures fall as investors await key economic data amid recession fears

(Reuters) – U.S. stock index futures slipped on Wednesday in the run up to a fresh batch of economic data, expected to give more clarity on the state of the U.S. economy amid worries that rapid rate hikes by the Federal Reserve may trigger a steep downturn. At 5:03 a.m. ET, Dow e-minis were down 46 points, or 0.14%, S&P 500 e-minis were down 8.75 points, or 0.21%, and Nasdaq 100 e-minis were down 30.5 points, or 0.23%. Weak job openings data and falling factory orders on Tuesday followed soft manufacturing activity data on Monday, sparking fresh concerns about economic…