CTB - Chinese review likely to dictate timing for Cooper/Goodyear deal analyst says

China's antitrust review of Goodyear's (GT) planned purchase of Cooper Tire (CTB) will likely dictate the timing for the deal, according to United First Partners.UFP expects the deal can close in November and expects "base case" the U.S. antitrust regulators will approve the deal in Phase 1, UFP legal analyst Anna Pavlik wrote in a note.The transaction doesn't appear to raise substantive antitrust issues in China given "highly fragmented" nature of the market there, though the review process may be slowed by political "headwinds" and local labor issues.Pavlik sees a "slight chance'' that the review gets "second request" in the U.S., though more due to delays with transition to new administration.UFP special situations analyst Ivan Deryugin sees a chance that Michelin (MGDDF) and/or Bridgestone (BRDCF) could put in an alternative bid for Cooper. Michelin's balance sheet could handle a bid, though Bridgestone is a less likely bidder."With the CTB/GT gross

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Chinese review likely to dictate timing for Cooper/Goodyear deal, analyst says