Fed Rate Hike Possible 'from June On:' Lockhart

Conditions are likely to come together that will allow the Federal Reserve to hike short-term interest rates anytime "from June on," said Dennis Lockhart, the president of the Atlanta Fed, on Friday. In a speech in Naples, Florida, Lockhart said he would like to see "some firming of inflation readings" before he has the "confidence" to being to tighten monetary policy. "There are worrisome aspects of the current inflation picture, and reading underlying inflation trends is problematic at present," Lockhart said. He said that weakness in wages is also a concern. "One hundred percent confidence is never attainable. At this particular moment, I don't quite have sufficient confidence" to vote to hike rates, he added. The Atlanta Fed president is a voting member of the Fed policy committee this year.