Monroe Capital's Ted Koenig Shares AI Infrastructure, M&A Outlook Live on Bloomberg TV's "The Close"

Rhea-AI Summary

Monroe Capital (NYSE:MRCC) Chairman and CEO Ted Koenig appeared on Bloomberg Markets: The Close on October 6, 2025, discussing inflation risk, interest-rate cuts, AI infrastructure, and late‑2025 M&A outlook. Koenig said policy clarity is the key catalyst for new financings and deal flow and warned that persistent inflation and elevated everyday costs are constraining underwriting and sponsor activity.

He highlighted Monroe's middle‑market positioning, noting the firm manages approximately $22 billion AUM with portfolio companies averaging about $25 million EBITDA, and expressed conviction in AI infrastructure and outsourced healthcare while remaining cautious on hospitality and container‑dependent goods.

Positive

• Monroe manages approximately $22 billion AUM
• Portfolio average EBITDA approximately $25 million
• Strategic focus on AI infrastructure and data center demand
• Selective conviction in outsourced healthcare services

Negative

• Persistent inflation and elevated everyday costs pressuring households
• Policy uncertainty is delaying financings and compressing M&A activity
• Caution on hospitality and container‑dependent goods due to shipping volatility

Discussion aired live on Bloomberg Markets: The Close on October 6, 2025.

CHICAGO, IL / ACCESS Newswire / October 10, 2025 / Monroe Capital LLC ("Monroe") Chairman and CEO Ted Koenig appeared on Bloomberg Markets: The Close on October 6, 2025, sharing views on inflation risk, interest-rate cuts, AI infrastructure, and the path for mergers and acquisitions in late 2025. Koenig emphasized that policy clarity is the key catalyst for new financings and deal flow, speaking from the vantage point of a private credit platform with approximately $22 billion in assets under management.

"M&A can't happen if there is not certainty. Financing can't happen if there is not certainty. We need to project certainty into the marketplace… It is hard to underwrite when you don't know what your costs are," Koenig said on air.

Addressing the rate path, Koenig cautioned that additional cuts are occurring "into a market that is already hot," noting that "the biggest challenge we have to be mindful of is inflation" with elevated everyday costs still pressuring households. He observed that visibility on input costs is essential for sponsors and lenders to price risk and re-start larger volumes of deal activity.

Koenig outlined sector positioning informed by Monroe's diversified portfolio. "AI is on a run and there is no looking back… What I like is the infrastructure around AI - power, energy systems, engineering - things that AI needs in order to create infrastructure," he said, adding conviction in outsourced healthcare services while remaining cautious on hospitality and container-dependent goods given consumer stress and shipping cost volatility.

From Monroe's middle-market vantage point, Koenig said dealmaking momentum hinges on stability and labor trends in services. IPOs have been concentrated in technology, while core U.S. distribution, manufacturing, and services await improved certainty to re-accelerate M&A. He noted pent-up private equity exit needs and a more active secondary market as limited partners seek liquidity.

Monroe Capital continues to target resilient cash-flow businesses with durable B2B revenue, covenant strength, and liquidity buffers, while selectively leaning into secular growth tied to data center and automation demand. The firm's portfolio spans hundreds of companies across North America, with a typical borrower profile in the middle market. Monroe currently manages approximately $22 billion and its portfolio averages about $25 million in EBITDA.

"We can underwrite high interest rates or low interest rates… After we get certainty, we can underwrite," Koenig said, underscoring a disciplined, fundamentals-first approach to credit selection and structure.

The October 6th episode, titled "S&P, Nasdaq Rise on AMD-OpenAI Chip Deal | The Close 10/6/2025," also featured Council of Economic Advisers' Jared Bernstein, Yale University's Gautam Mukunda, OpenAI's Brad Lightcap, Principal Asset Management's Seema Shah, IMF's Tobias Adrian, Kearney's Katherine Black reinforcing the program's broad macro and market perspective. (Source: Bloomberg)

About Monroe Capital LLC
Monroe Capital LLC ("Monroe") is a premier asset management firm specializing in private credit markets across various strategies, including direct lending, technology finance, venture debt, alternative credit solutions, structured credit, real estate and equity. Since 2004, the firm has been successfully providing capital solutions to clients in the U.S. and Canada. Monroe prides itself on being a value-added and user-friendly partner to business owners, management, and both private equity and independent sponsors. Monroe's platform offers a wide variety of investment products for both institutional and high net worth investors with a focus on generating high quality "alpha" returns irrespective of business or economic cycles. The firm is headquartered in Chicago and has 12 locations throughout the United States, Middle East, Asia and Australia.

Monroe has been recognized by both its peers and investors with various awards including DealCatalyst as the 2025 Most Innovative Private Credit CLO Manager of the Year; Private Debt Investor as the 2024 Lower Mid-Market Lender of the Year, Americas and 2023 Lower Mid-Market Lender of the Decade; Inc.'s 2024 Founder-Friendly Investors List; Global M&A Network as the 2024 Lower Mid-Markets Lender of the Year, Americas; Korean Economic Daily as the 2022 Best Performance in Private Debt - Mid Cap; Creditflux as the 2021 Best U.S. Direct Lending Fund; and Pension Bridge as the 2020 Private Credit Strategy of the Year. For more information and important disclaimers, please visit www.monroecap.com.

Media Contact:

Zia Uddin
Monroe Capital LLC
(312) 523-2374
zuddin@monroecap.com

SOURCE: Monroe Capital LLC

View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire

FAQ

What did Monroe Capital (MRCC) say on Bloomberg about M&A on October 6, 2025?

Ted Koenig said policy clarity is required to restart financings and M&A; uncertainty is stalling deal flow.

How much does Monroe Capital (MRCC) manage as of the October 6, 2025 interview?

Monroe manages approximately $22 billion in assets under management.

What average EBITDA does Monroe report for its portfolio companies?

The firm's portfolio averages about $25 million EBITDA per company.

Which sectors did Monroe Capital (MRCC) express conviction in on October 6, 2025?

Koenig highlighted AI infrastructure (power, energy, engineering) and outsourced healthcare services.

What macro risk did Monroe Capital (MRCC) emphasize on Bloomberg on October 6, 2025?

Koenig emphasized inflation risk and elevated consumer costs as key challenges for underwriting and dealmaking.

How does Monroe plan to underwrite deals once conditions change?

Koenig said Monroe uses a disciplined, fundamentals‑first credit approach and can underwrite across interest‑rate environments after certainty returns.