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Weekly Roundup November 14 – November 18, 2016: ‘Big 3’ Credit Rating Firm Ups Defense Outlook & more


November 14 – November 18, 2016

A Note From Our President & Founder Jim Garrettson

One of the country’s “Big Three” credit rating agencies has bolstered its view of the government contracting sector’s prospects under incoming President Donald Trump and in particular defense companies.

Fitch Ratings said in its latest assessment this week that defense contractors could also gain an increased footprint in the Department of Homeland Security under the assumption that border protection will be a priority for Trump’s administration.

The Navy will be one beneficiary, Fitch says, in light of Trump’s pledge to increase the U.S.’ warship fleet with cybersecurity another area to garner heightened attention under the next administration.

Along with stalwarts Moody’s and Standard & Poors, Fitch is one of three national credit rating organizations with an official SEC designation as such and a neutral arbiter financial professionals look to for an external and independent perspective on markets.

One area Fitch recommends observers keep a close eye on is trade policies under a Trump administration as many large U.S. primes have prioritized international military sales as a means to offset flat or declining domestic defense budgets.

Fitch issued its newest evaluation of defense in a time that has seen investors key on military’s largest weapon and platform makers as companies that stand to benefit over the next four years.

As we noted last week, noted investment website Motley Fool termed the four-day post-election surge in defense stocks as a “Trump Effect” for the short term.

Now with Fitch’s backing, defense also looks to be a winning play in the long game.

THE WEEK’S OTHER TOP 10 GOVCON STORIES

Arlington Capital Merges EOIR With Proteus Technologies, Intelligent Software Solutions to Form Polaris Alpha
Polaris Alpha expects to record $250 million in revenue for 2017 across its core defense and intelligence community markets.
State Dept OKs $1B General Atomics Predator B Drone Sale to UK
Britain has requested to purchase 26 of the unmanned aerial vehicles for its intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance operations.
Deltek FedFocus Speakers Preview Uncertain Period With Shift to New Trump Administration
Contractors in attendance got a glimpse of what Deltek believes will be policy and budget priorities for the next president.
GAO Denies 9 Bid Protests of DHA Tricare Contract Awards to Humana, Health Net
A redacted version of GAO’s ruling on the consolidated East and West region contracts is scheduled to go public within two weeks.
DigitalGlobe Launches Lockheed-Built WorldView-4 Satellite
Lockheed Martin space lead Rick Ambrose said the liftoff is part of both companies’ efforts to advance technologies in the remote sensing field.
Mark Scallion on SAP Public Services’ Analytics Work With Civilian Agencies, How Agencies Can ‘Re-Imagine’ IT
Scallion also highlights shared services efforts underway at agencies in this Q&A with us.
Vencore to Extend GSA Public Building IT Service Support
CEO Mac Curtis said Vencore will aim to help GSA streamline and transform enterprise applications for the agency’s Public Buildings Service.
Sysorex Targets Govt Business Growth Through Integrio Assets Purchase Deal
Integrio holds positions on contract vehicles with federal agencies such as the FBI, Justice Department and U.S. Army.
CGI Federal to Provide DHS Credential Mgmt Support Under $102M Task Order
GSA and DHS plan to award two more task orders under the continuous diagnostics and mitigation program’s second phase.
Professional Services Council Urges Congress to OK Full-Year Appropriations Bill For FY 2017
PSC President and CEO David Berteau also asked for lawmakers to move on two other pieces of legislation before Congress ends its current session.

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