July 6 (Reuters) -ICE cotton futures slipped on Thursday, pressured by improved weather conditions in key cotton-growing areas, weaker equities and concerns about lower demand from top buyer China.
* The most-active December cotton contract CTz3 fell 0.04 cent, or 0.05%, to 80.19 cents per lb by 14:18 a.m. EDT (1518 GMT). It traded in a range of 79.21 and 80.62 cents a lb.
* The prices are weighed by, "some improved growing conditions for cotton, especially in Texas", said Jack Scoville, vice president at Chicago-based Price Futures Group.
* "The stock market is down pretty heavily and that is probably affecting cotton as well," Scoville added.
* Wall Street tumbled as data signaling a resilient labor market and hawkish minutes of the Federal Reserve's June meeting fanned fears the central bank could keep interest rates higher for longer. .N
* "China is facing economic problems and that may raise concerns about Chinese demand for cotton," Scoville said.
* China's services activity expanded at the slowest pace in five months in June, a private-sector survey showed on Wednesday, as weakening demand weighed on post-pandemic recovery momentum.
* U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen began a four-day visit to China that was expected to focus on easing ties between the world's two largest economies, despite low expectations on both sides.
* Meanwhile, a weaker dollar made cotton cheaper for overseas buyers, capping the crop's declines. USD/
* Investors will watch out for the U.S. Department of Agriculture's weekly export sales report due on Friday, delayed by a day due to the Independence Day holiday on Tuesday.
Reporting by Ananya Bajpai in Bengaluru; Editing by Shilpi Majumdar