UPDATE 3-Trump administration mulls taking stakes in defense firms including Lockheed Martin

The Trump administration is considering taking stakes in defense contractors, including Lockheed Martin Corp, U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said on Tuesday as he defended President Donald Trump's push for a greater government role in American business. "They're thinking about it," Lutnick told CNBC, citing Pentagon leaders, when asked if the administration was considering taking pieces of contractors such as Lockheed Martin, Boeing, or Palantir Technologies. "There's a lot of talking that needs to be had about how do we finance our munitions acquisitions."

"There's a monstrous discussion about defense. Lockheed Martin makes 97% of their revenue from the U.S. government. They are basically an arm of the U.S. government," he added. Lockheed Martin, whose shares rallied 1.7% following the remarks, said, "We are continuing our strong working relationship with President Trump and his Administration to strengthen our national defense."

Boeing declined to comment, while Palantir did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Boeing stock was up 2.1% and Palantir reversed a small initial slide of about 1% following the remarks and was up 1.7% in midday trading in New York. Lutnick's comments are the latest example of the White House's aggressive interventions in the private sector, with moves historically only undertaken during wartime, or to save struggling and strategic domestic companies during times of economic stress. The Trump administration last week announced a near-10% stake in chipmaker Intel. It previously intervened to complete the purchase of U.S. Steel by Japan's Nippon Steel in June, taking what Trump called a "golden share" that gives Washington say over its operations. It also took a stake in rare earths company MP Materials , and brokered a deal with chipmakers Nvidia and AMD to take 15% of revenue from sales to China of chips that had previously been prohibited. On Monday, Trump said he wants to make more U.S. government investments in healthy American companies, even as critics warn that such a role for the government could limit corporate strategy and market agility, and questions are raised about the impact on consumers. The unusual level of federal government intervention in the economy has created unexpected alliances, with liberal U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders backing the stake in Intel.

Lutnick on Tuesday said companies that need federal assistance should be prepared to deal with Trump. "If a company comes to the United States of America government and says: 'We need your help, we want to change everything' ... I think that's a question between the CEO and the president of the United States of whether he will listen to them and change the rules," he told CNBC, citing the Nvidia deal.

"If we are adding fundamental value to your business, I think it's fair for Donald Trump to think about the American people," Lutnick added.

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