The Associated Press reports that UAL Corporation (NYSE: UAUA)'s United Airlines and Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL) are in discussions about a merger. The firms would take United's Chicago headquarters and its name. One possible scenario involves Delta CEO Richard Anderson being the chief of the combined airline.
Why merge? Pardus Capital Management LP, a hedge fund, owns 7 million Delta shares and 5.6 million shares of United. Pardus pushed Delta to merge with UAL. It argued that it was "imperative" that the company merge with another airline in view of soaring fuel prices and what it described as the increased risks of going it alone. Pardus believes that "consolidation is needed to de-risk the industry, and time is of the essence as now is the right regulatory environment."
If Pardus is right, it seems to me that it must be forecasting that Hillary Clinton will be the next president. That's because Pardus believes that the regulatory environment for airline consolidation will deteriorate under the next president -- and I wouldn't be surprised if it thought mergers would be viewed more favorably under a Republican than a Democrat.
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