Fed's Lockhart sticks with June to September liftoff, despite growth downgrade

STONE MOUNTAIN, Ga (Reuters) - Atlanta Federal Reserve bank president Dennis Lockhart said on Wednesday that the United States remains on track for a likely interest rate hike in the June to September period, with a weak first quarter likely to give way to stronger growth.

"The weakness of the first quarter got my attention. I still believe the factors are transitory," Lockhart told reporters at a monetary policy conference here. "We will see a pick-up."

(Reporting by Howard Schneider; Editing by Andrea Ricci)