Moelis & Company (NYSE:MC) Downgraded by Wall Street Zen to "Sell"

Key Points

• Wall Street Zen downgraded Moelis & Company from a "hold" to a "sell," a move cited in a note to investors and likely contributing to recent negative sentiment.
• Moelis missed Q1 expectations with EPS of $0.50 versus $0.59 consensus and revenue slightly below estimates, which drove the selloff, even though the firm reported record quarterly revenue and margin expansion and declared a $0.65 quarterly dividend (~4% yield).
• The analyst picture is mixed but tilted neutral: the consensus rating remains "Hold" with a consensus target price of $71.89, and the stock trades around $64.86 within a 52‑week range of $51.06–$78.22.

Moelis & Company (NYSE:MC - Get Free Report) was downgraded by equities research analysts at Wall Street Zen from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a note issued to investors on Saturday.

MC has been the topic of a number of other reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on shares of Moelis & Company from $80.00 to $81.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Morgan Stanley lowered their price target on shares of Moelis & Company from $90.00 to $83.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 9th. The Goldman Sachs Group lowered their price target on shares of Moelis & Company from $70.00 to $62.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, April 1st. Bank of America assumed coverage on shares of Moelis & Company in a report on Monday, January 26th. They issued a "neutral" rating and a $81.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lowered their price target on shares of Moelis & Company from $80.00 to $64.00 and set a "market perform" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, April 8th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $71.89.

Moelis & Company Stock Performance

NYSE:MC opened at $64.86 on Friday. Moelis & Company has a fifty-two week low of $51.06 and a fifty-two week high of $78.22. The stock has a market capitalization of $5.04 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.33, a P/E/G ratio of 0.76 and a beta of 1.87. The company's 50-day simple moving average is $59.99 and its 200-day simple moving average is $65.72.

Moelis & Company (NYSE:MC - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The asset manager reported $0.50 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.59 by ($0.09). Moelis & Company had a net margin of 14.46% and a return on equity of 38.79%. The firm had revenue of $319.78 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $321.51 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $0.64 earnings per share. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 4.3% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts forecast that Moelis & Company will post 3.23 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, General Counsel Osamu R. Watanabe sold 2,765 shares of Moelis & Company stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $62.23, for a total value of $172,065.95. Following the completion of the sale, the general counsel directly owned 4,981 shares in the company, valued at $309,967.63. This trade represents a 35.70% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 6.40% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Moelis & Company

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Impact Capital Partners LLC boosted its stake in Moelis & Company by 1.2% in the 3rd quarter. Impact Capital Partners LLC now owns 12,000 shares of the asset manager's stock worth $856,000 after purchasing an additional 147 shares in the last quarter. Moran Wealth Management LLC raised its position in Moelis & Company by 0.4% during the 3rd quarter. Moran Wealth Management LLC now owns 37,988 shares of the asset manager's stock worth $2,709,000 after buying an additional 156 shares during the last quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. raised its position in Moelis & Company by 64.4% during the 4th quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 416 shares of the asset manager's stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 163 shares during the last quarter. Wesbanco Bank Inc. raised its position in Moelis & Company by 2.1% during the 4th quarter. Wesbanco Bank Inc. now owns 8,889 shares of the asset manager's stock worth $611,000 after buying an additional 180 shares during the last quarter. Finally, GW Henssler & Associates Ltd. raised its position in Moelis & Company by 5.6% during the 4th quarter. GW Henssler & Associates Ltd. now owns 3,433 shares of the asset manager's stock worth $236,000 after buying an additional 181 shares during the last quarter. 91.53% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Moelis & Company News

Here are the key news stories impacting Moelis & Company this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Record Q1 revenue and margin expansion — Moelis reported its highest-ever quarterly revenue and said margins expanded, evidence that deal activity and fee mix improved year-over-year. Moelis Posts Record Q1 2026 Revenue and Margin Expansion
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend raised/declared — Moelis declared a $0.65 quarterly dividend (ex-dividend May 11), implying a roughly 4.0% yield, which can support the share price by attracting income-seeking investors.
• Neutral Sentiment: Earnings call highlighted M&A momentum and strategic hiring — management emphasized continued M&A deal flow and targeted hiring to capture opportunities despite macro headwinds; this is growth-oriented but increases near-term expense pressure. Moelis & Co (MC) Q1 2026 Earnings Call Highlights: Record Revenue and Strategic Growth Amid ...
• Neutral Sentiment: Full transcript available for detail — the earnings call transcript provides color on backlog, client activity and compensation/expenses for analysts to model future quarters. Moelis & Company (MC) Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
• Negative Sentiment: EPS and revenue missed consensus — Q1 EPS was $0.50 vs. $0.59 expected and revenue came in marginally below estimates, which is the primary driver of the selloff as investors focus on near-term profitability. Moelis (MC) Q1 Earnings and Revenues Miss Estimates
• Negative Sentiment: Bear case circulation and critical research — recent write-ups (summarized in secondary coverage) highlight valuation and execution risks; that bearish narrative is amplifying selling pressure after the miss. Is Moelis & Company (MC) A Good Stock To Buy Now?
• Negative Sentiment: Market reaction coverage — multiple outlets note the stock dropped after the print despite revenue strength, underscoring investor concern over the EPS miss and margin/profitability trajectory. How Moelis’ Q1 2026 Earnings Drop and Softer Profitability Will Impact Moelis (MC) Investors

Moelis & Company Company Profile

Moelis & Co operates as a holding company. It engages in the provision of financial advisory, capital raising and asset management services to a client base including corporations, governments, sovereign wealth funds and financial sponsors. The firm focuses on clients including large public multinational corporations, middle market private companies, financial sponsors, entrepreneurs and governments. The company was founded by Kenneth David Moelis, Navid Mahmoodzadegan, Jeffrey Raich and Elizabeth Ann Crain in July 2007 and is headquartered in New York, NY.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.