If inflation expectations remain a prerequisite for higher interest rates, a widely forecast mid-year rate hike from the U.S. Federal Reserve is still not cast in stone. The timing for the first interest rate hike in years for the world’s largest economy from 0-0.25 percent has been a matter of speculation for much of the past year and has set the course for currencies, bond yields and stock markets globally. Even if symbolic, economists and Wall Street dealers predict the first hike will come in June — mainly because Fed policymakers seem to have done just about everything they can short of promising to raise rates ... (full story)