Nasdaq futures slip as AI spending and Fed rate concerns weigh

US stock futures fell slightly Thursday evening, with Nasdaq futures dropping 0.4% to 30,019.75 points, pressured by investor caution over AI-related spending and Federal Reserve rate concerns. S&P 500 futures slipped 0.1%, while Dow Jones futures rose 0.1%. The tech sector remained vulnerable despite Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing's record quarterly profit, as investors questioned whether robust AI demand justifies massive capital expenditures on data centers and infrastructure amid rising borrowing costs. Nvidia fell 1.8%, while Dell and Hewlett Packard Enterprise dropped 6.9% and 7.1% respectively. Producer prices rose more than expected in September, the largest increase in four and a half years, though Treasury yields eased to about 5.09%. Markets priced a 67% probability of a Fed rate hike by December, with investors also monitoring retail sales and jobless claims data.