Impact Partnership Wealth LLC Takes Position in Lazard, Inc. $LAZ

Impact Partnership Wealth LLC purchased a new position in shares of Lazard, Inc. (NYSE:LAZ) in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor purchased 10,063 shares of the asset manager’s stock, valued at approximately $531,000.

Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Ariel Investments LLC grew its position in Lazard by 2.4% in the 2nd quarter. Ariel Investments LLC now owns 5,753,997 shares of the asset manager’s stock worth $276,077,000 after purchasing an additional 134,717 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp lifted its holdings in Lazard by 9.3% during the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 2,108,229 shares of the asset manager’s stock valued at $101,153,000 after purchasing an additional 180,244 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new stake in Lazard during the second quarter worth about $66,547,000. Voya Investment Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Lazard by 11.8% during the third quarter. Voya Investment Management LLC now owns 1,165,822 shares of the asset manager’s stock worth $61,532,000 after buying an additional 123,265 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. raised its stake in shares of Lazard by 27.5% in the first quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 759,867 shares of the asset manager’s stock valued at $32,902,000 after acquiring an additional 163,983 shares during the last quarter. 54.80% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about Lazard

Here are the key news stories impacting Lazard this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 results beat Wall Street: Lazard reported $0.80 EPS vs. $0.68 expected and revenue of $892M (up ~11% y/y); AUM rose and both advisory and asset-management revenues increased — a clear earnings catalyst supporting the stock. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst optimism: Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised its price target from $59 to $62 and kept an “outperform” rating — adds upside narrative for investors. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend and capital return: Lazard announced a $0.50 quarterly dividend (3.7% yield) with an upcoming ex-dividend date — supports income-seeking investors and signals management confidence. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Management moves: Tracy Farr named CFO effective Feb 1 — experienced finance chief can be a governance/execution positive. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Productivity target tied to growth plans: Management signaled a long-term productivity target (~$12.5M revenue per managing director by 2030) while accelerating MD hiring — positive for long-term margins but neutral near-term as it accompanies expansion. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Near-term cost and hiring pressure: Coverage notes higher costs associated with talent expansion and hires (21 MDs in 2025), which could weigh on margins in the short term despite revenue growth — likely a moderating factor on the share reaction. Read More.

Lazard Trading Down 0.3%

LAZ opened at $53.65 on Friday. Lazard, Inc. has a 1-year low of $31.97 and a 1-year high of $58.07. The company has a market cap of $6.05 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.61 and a beta of 1.38. The company has a current ratio of 2.58, a quick ratio of 2.58 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.92. The company’s 50 day moving average is $51.22 and its 200-day moving average is $52.01.

Lazard (NYSE:LAZ) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The asset manager reported $0.80 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.68 by $0.12. Lazard had a net margin of 7.49% and a return on equity of 34.54%. The firm had revenue of $892.00 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $876.32 million. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.78 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 11.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts predict that Lazard, Inc. will post 4.24 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Lazard Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 20th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 9th will be paid a $0.50 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, February 9th. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.7%. Lazard’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 79.05%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have commented on LAZ. BMO Capital Markets started coverage on Lazard in a research report on Friday, October 3rd. They issued a “market perform” rating and a $56.00 price objective on the stock. UBS Group restated a “neutral” rating and issued a $59.00 price objective on shares of Lazard in a research report on Friday. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted their price target on shares of Lazard from $59.00 to $62.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday. Zacks Research downgraded Lazard from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Monday, January 12th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group set a $46.00 price objective on Lazard and gave the company a “sell” rating in a report on Thursday, October 23rd. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $57.13.

About Lazard

Lazard Ltd. (NYSE: LAZ) is a leading global financial advisory and asset management firm, offering a comprehensive suite of services to corporations, governments and individuals. Founded in 1848, Lazard has built a reputation for providing independent advice and innovative solutions in complex financial transactions. The firm is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol LAZ and maintains its headquarters in Hamilton, Bermuda.

In its Financial Advisory segment, Lazard assists clients with mergers and acquisitions, restructurings, capital structure optimization and strategic planning.