Lockhart: Not Enough New Data for March Rate Hike

There may not be enough fresh data on inflation to support another U.S. interest rate hike by March, Atlanta Federal Reserve Bank President Dennis Lockhart said on Monday in comments that help give shape to the Fed's possible rate path.

"How much will we know about inflation trends or inflation developments going into the mid-March meeting? We will have some data but not a great deal more," Lockhart said after a speech in Atlanta.

The Fed raised rates for the first time in a decade at its December policy meeting, refocusing debate on when it will take a second step in what it has described as a "gradual" tightening of policy. (Reporting by Howard Schneider; Editing by Paul Simao)