MD of New York & Chief Information Officer, Moelis
Search every verified Ted Ferguson interview, podcast appearance, and on-the-record quote — each transcript cross-checked by AI and human review to confirm speaker identity. Ted Ferguson, Managing Director and Chief Information Officer at Moelis, was quoted in a September 2012 Bloomberg interview discussing the firm's perspective on Middle East business conditions and broader M&A trends. Ferguson stated that most of the Middle East region was "doing business as usual" and that the political situation in Egypt was being treated as an "Egypt specific event" by regional economies. He advised that corporations considering strategic acquisitions in Egypt should "wait for more information" due to uncertainty about the outcome of regime changes. Ferguson also commented on the M&A outlook, predicting a "good year" for dealmaking but not a "blockbuster" compared to 2006-2007, noting that while buyers are strong, sellers lack incentive to sell at current prices due to strong recovery in margins and growth. He identified commodities and energy as the sector most likely to consolidate, describing it as a "major trend" rolling through the globe. Ferguson emphasized that Moelis was building a "global information-capable network" to serve clients worldwide, with offices in Hong Kong, Sydney, Dubai, and London.
“I think right now the rest of the region is acting as if this is an Egypt specific event and for the time being those economies continue to be very impressive with commodity prices where they are today near $100 a barrel. The region has substantial economic benefit and for now they continue to operate as if Egypt's a o...”
“If you make the assumption that the ruling party that takes over is what businessmen are hoping in their heart and if that happens, possibly that's good. The right answer right now is to wait and see because things can go either way; regimes that come into place may not be as good as that outcome and we don't know yet.”
“The Middle East region and Egypt are very separate things. Most of the region is still doing business as usual. Egypt is interesting, but for a corporation, you can't look at Egypt as a stock trade. If you're looking at a strategic acquisition that is illiquid in Egypt, my gut feel is you have to wait for more informat...”
“I think it's going to be a good year for M&A, but not a blockbuster compared to 2006-2007. While buyers are strong, sellers are seeing a strong recovery in margins and growth, so there's not a huge desire to sell at these prices.”
“It's been an unbelievable 18 months with refinancings going on for companies that 18 months ago we would have been sure only had chapter 11 as an option. The growth in revenues has been amazing, showing what private companies can accomplish with focus, lower demand, and lower interest rates.”
“If you have to pick one sector that's going to consolidate more than any other, it's commodities and energy. This trend is rolling through the globe, including food commodities, metals, mining, and energy, and I believe it will be a major trend this year.”
“We're in the early innings of Basel 3 regulatory changes. There's a lot left to play out regarding how financial institutions exist within the framework of their regulators. 2009 is not that long ago, and a lot of repair had to happen before implementing what I think will be a regulatory environment.”
“I'm building a global information-capable network so I can give clients the information they need to make decisions around the world. That requires being in Hong Kong, Sydney, Dubai, London. I'm building what I think a client needs to get advice.”
“We want to hire talent and pay them a lot of money. We're not looking to squeeze our talent but to set up a culture where they do great work, focus on clients, and not internal politics. I'm hoping to pay these people a lot of money.”
“North Africa's recent upheaval has not changed the trend of cross-border deals or US companies buying assets there. The big risk has always been protectionism, especially in natural resources, where countries increasingly want to protect strategic resources. That will continue to be the main block to cross-border trans...”
Feb. 3 (Bloomberg) -- Ken Moelis, the former UBS AG investment banking president who founded and now heads Moelis & Co., ...
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