* Second-quarter final GDP data on tap
* New York ISM, Chicago PMI due
* Futures down: Dow 4 pts, S&P 2.7 pts, Nasdaq 1.25 pts
* For up-to-the-minute market news see
NEW YORK, Sept 30 (Reuters) - U.S. stocks index futures dipped on Thursday ahead of key September regional business data awaited by investors to see whether this month's equity rally was justified by economic fundamentals.
* The September Institute for Supply Management-New York report and U.S. weekly jobless are due at 8.30 a.m. (1230 GMT), with September's Chicago PMI data due at 9.45 a.m. (1345 GMT).
* Investors will also monitor the final estimate on U.S. second-quarter final GDP. Economists in a Reuters survey forecast a 1.6 percent annualized pace of growth, a repeat of the second estimate. The data is due at 8.30 a.m. (1230 GMT).
* S&P 500 futures fell 2.7 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 lost 4 points, and Nasdaq 100 futures fell 1.25 points.
* The S&P 500 has gained over 9 percent so far this month, helped by signs of stabilization in the economy and hopes the Federal Reserve will take extra steps to spur the recovery.
* European shares edged lower, falling for a fourth straight day on Thursday, with investors moving away from riskier assets on concerns about deeper fiscal cuts in Ireland and as Moody's downgraded Spain's government bond ratings.
* Japan's Nikkei average slid 2 percent on Thursday, hit by a late yen rise, but still booked its best monthly performance in six months.
* In corporate news, Johnson & Johnson's massive recall of faulty medicines, including a quiet buyback of its Motrin painkiller, has angered U.S. lawmakers who will question the company's chief executive and a senior health regulator on Thursday.
* Yahoo Inc is losing another three executives, including U.S. head Hilary Schneider, All Things Digital reported on Wednesday, citing sources close to the situation.
* Car rental company Avis Budget Group Inc said on late Wednesday it would be willing to include a break-up fee in its offer for Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group if rival Hertz Global Holdings walks away from its own takeover bid for Dollar Thrifty.
* Wall Street took a breather from a month-long rally on Wednesday, with investors bracing for higher volatility going forward as the best quarter in a year nears its end.
The Dow Jones industrial average shed 22.86 points, or 0.21 percent, to 10,835.28. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index dipped 2.97 points, or 0.26 percent, to 1,144.73. The Nasdaq Composite Index fell 3.03 points, or 0.13 percent, to 2,376.56. (Reporting by Edward Krudy; Editing by W Simon )