** Boutique investment bank Moelis' MC.N shares rise more than 1.5% to $80.89

** Company on Wednesday reported Q4 adj profit of $1.18/shr vs est $0.49/shr - LSEG

** Total revenue more than doubled to $438.7 million, driven by higher M&A fees

** Company's shares have risen 7.4% YTD, as of previous close, after rising 31.6% in 2024

(Reporting by Ateev Bhandari in Bengaluru)

((Ateev.Bhandari@thomsonreuters.com))