Lockheed Martin anticipates sooner-than-expected F-35 award

The fighter jets in lot 19 could potentially be awarded sooner than the second half of this year, which was the company's earlier timeline, newly appointed CFO Evan Scott said at a Bank of America conference. Lockheed's customer has told the company to expect lots 18 and 19 to be combined into a single contract, Scott added. Last month, Lockheed beat expectations for quarterly profit and reaffirmed its annual forecasts, buoyed by resilient demand for its missile systems and fighter jets.