Defense Companies Face New Rules on Money Spending

Defense companies might have to change how they spend their money. President Donald Trump said they can't give money to shareholders or buy back their own stock. This is until they make more military equipment and fix other problems. Trump also said defense company bosses can't make more than $5 million. He thinks their pay is too high. He made these points on a social media site. Shares of big defense companies like General Dynamics, Lockheed Martin, and Northrop Grumman dropped after Trump's announcement. It's not clear if his rules will really change anything.Defense companies have been giving a lot of money to shareholders. For example, Northrop Grumman spent $1. 17 billion buying back stock and $964 million on dividends in nine months. Lockheed spent even more. Trump thinks defense companies should use this money to make equipment instead. He said they should not borrow money or ask the government for help. It's not clear how defense companies will react to these new rules. They have not said anything yet.