VMware drops on report FTC talking to third parties in Broadcom deal review
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VMWare (NYSE:VMW) fell 2% on a report that the Federal Trade Commission is said to be talking to industry players to get their input on the proposed Broadcom (NASDAQ:AVGO) acquisition.
FTC staff are said to be reaching out to third parties to see if they maybe willing to sign declarations for a possible lawsuit to block the megadeal, according to traders, who cited a Capitol Forum item that was circulating on Friday. 
The report comes after the UK's antitrust regulator late last month said it would investigate Broadcom's (AVGO) $61 billion proposed acquisition of VMware (VMW). The CMA has until March 22 to make a decision on whether the deal will impact competition.
In December Dealreporter said the FTC review is focused on conglomerate effects of the combination.
In May, Broadcom (AVGO) announced it was buying VMware (VMW) for $61B in cash and stock, becoming one of the largest M&A deals of the year.
In December the European Union said it would open up an "in-depth" investigation into Broadcom's (AVGO) merger of software company VMware.