US defense officials’ role in Lockheed-Aerojet deal; Australia ponders banking competition

MLex Market Insight

A United States review of the combination between Lockheed Martin and Aerojet Rocketdyne is set to continue for months, amid growing questions about whether the Federal Trade Commission is ready to accept behavioral remedies, rather than a structural solution. But there are other regulatory factors at play — including the role of the Department of Defense, which finds itself in the unusual position of having a say in all defense-related mergers because it is often the sole customer of military products and services. Meanwhile, concerns over a lack of competition in Australia’s banking industry are playing out in the review of National Australia Bank’s play for Citigroup’s consumer business.