Moelis & Company is an investment banking advisory firm operating across the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Australia. It provides advisory services for mergers and acquisitions, recapitalizations and restructurings, capital markets transactions, and other corporate finance matters, as well as strategic advisory, capital structure advisory, and private capital advisory. Its clients include public multinational corporations, middle market private companies, financial sponsors, entrepreneurs, governments, and sovereign wealth funds. Founded in 2007, the company is headquartered in New York, New York.
Houlihan Lokey Hires Jane Ma as Managing Director in Financial Services Group
Houlihan Lokey has hired Jane Ma as a Managing Director in its Financial Services Group, based in New York. Ma joins from Moelis & Company, where she spent 16 years and most recently served as a Managing Director covering asset management, wealth management, and asset and wealth management technology. Her coverage at Houlihan Lokey will focus primarily on alternative asset managers, with additional time dedicated to wealth management services and asset and wealth technology. Jeffrey Levine, Managing Director and Global Co-Head of the Financial Services Group, said Ma's background in the asset and wealth management sectors enhances the firm's existing advisory capabilities. In 2025, Houlihan Lokey's Financial Services Group was ranked the No. 1 M&A advisor for global financial services transactions under $5 billion by LSEG, excluding accounting firms and business brokers.
PhRMA names former House Majority Leader Eric Cantor as next CEO
The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America has selected former Republican House Majority Leader Eric Cantor as its next CEO and president, effective Nov. 9. Cantor succeeds Steven Ubl, who has held the CEO and president roles since 2015. Merck CEO and PhRMA Board Chair Rob Davis said in a statement that Cantor's unique combination of global business acumen coupled with policy and political experience at the highest levels of government make him an ideal person to lead PhRMA during this critical next chapter. Cantor served in the House from 2000 to 2014 and was House majority leader from 2011 to 2014. Since leaving Congress, he has been vice chairman and managing director at investment bank Moelis & Company, advising companies on business strategy, mergers and acquisitions, and public policy.
Penske Automotive special committee hires Moelis and Paul Weiss for take-private review
The special committee of Penske Automotive Group's board has retained Moelis & Company as its independent financial advisor and Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison as its independent legal counsel to evaluate the unsolicited take-private proposal from Penske Corporation and Mitsui & Co. The proposal, received on July 22, 2026, offers $210 per share in cash for the remaining common stock not already owned by the two entities and their affiliates. The committee was established to review the preliminary, non-binding offer, and the company cautioned that there is no assurance a deal will be reached or on what terms. Penske Automotive said it does not intend to comment further unless disclosure is deemed appropriate or required, and shareholders do not need to take any action at this time.
Moelis and Lazard Shares Jump on Investment Banking Fee Surge
Shares of Moelis and Lazard rose sharply in afternoon trading after major banks reported strong second-quarter earnings driven by surging investment banking and trading revenues. Moelis gained 4.4 percent and Lazard jumped 5 percent as JPMorgan's CFO described a booming environment for dealmaking, with M&A and IPO advisory fees reaching their highest levels since 2021. The rally reflects a broader bullish sentiment for corporate transactions, exemplified by Goldman Sachs beating profit expectations partly due to increased dealmaking activity. Lazard's move follows its recent role as financial advisor to Warburg Pincus on a 3.6 billion dollar private equity transaction involving a 130 million dollar investment in data infrastructure provider Oxylabs.
Distressed debt funds that hold Strategy's preferred shares are in talks with Moelis & Co. about exchanging them for other securities, Bloomberg News reported. The discussions involve swapping the holdings for other preferred shares at a discounted price or for common shares, which have fallen nearly 75% over the past year. Any transaction would likely use a section 3(a)(9) exchange, allowing the swap without SEC registration. The move could give the funds a better chance to profit from any upside in Strategy, and a swap for common shares would reduce the company's dividend burden since it does not pay dividends on common stock.
ProFrac Holding Corp. Completes Refinancing of Asset-Based Lending Facility
ProFrac Holding Corp. has refinanced its asset-based revolving credit facility, replacing a $275 million facility with a new $300 million facility arranged by Eclipse Business Capital LLC. The new Eclipse ABL Credit Facility, entered into on July 1, 2026, matures in July 2030, extending the maturity from the previous September 2027 date and providing improved borrowing base terms for increased liquidity. The facility includes an uncommitted accordion feature allowing for up to an additional $25 million in commitments, potentially raising the maximum size to $325 million. Borrowings initially bear interest at Adjusted Term SOFR plus 4.25% until January 1, 2027, after which the rate will be based on a pricing grid tied to availability and a fixed charge coverage ratio. Moelis & Company LLC acted as exclusive placement agent and Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP served as legal counsel to ProFrac in the transaction.
Perella Weinberg posts weakest Q1 among investment banks, revenue down 29.7%
Perella Weinberg reported first-quarter revenues of $148.9 million, a 29.7% decline year on year and 10.5% below analyst expectations, making it the weakest performer among 15 tracked investment banking and brokerage stocks. The group overall posted mixed results, with aggregate revenues beating consensus estimates by 0.5% but next-quarter guidance coming in 1.4% below forecasts. Evercore stood out with revenues of $1.40 billion, up 100% year on year and exceeding estimates by 16.6%, while Lazard, Moelis, and Piper Sandler reported mixed outcomes. Perella Weinberg shares have fallen 27.1% since the release, trading at $16.57.
PWP · Capital · Negative Perella Weinberg reported Q1 revenues of $148.9M, down 29.7% YoY and 10.5% below expectations, the weakest among tracked banks.
EVR · Capital · Positive Evercore reported revenues of $1.40 billion, up 100% YoY and 16.6% above estimates, making it the standout performer.
LAZ · Capital · Neutral Lazard reported mixed outcomes, but no specific figures or direction given.
MC · Capital · Neutral Moelis reported mixed outcomes, but no specific figures or direction given.
PIPR · Capital · Neutral Piper Sandler reported mixed outcomes, but no specific figures or direction given.
Lyft Highlighted as Cash-Heavy Stock to Buy, Byrna and Moelis Flagged as Sells
StockStory identifies Lyft as a cash-heavy stock to target this week, while naming Byrna and Moelis as two facing headwinds. Lyft holds a net cash position of $553.5 million, representing 10.6% of its market cap, and has grown active riders by 12.9% annually with earnings per share up 69.1% annually over three years. Byrna, with a net cash position of $7.44 million or 5.1% of market cap, is flagged for cash-burning tendencies and negative returns on capital. Moelis, holding $129.1 million in net cash or 2.5% of market cap, is cited for declining earnings per share and tangible book value per share over five years.
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