Keefe, Bruyette & Woods Boosts Lazard (NYSE:LAZ) Price Target to $62.00

Lazard (NYSE:LAZ) had its price target hoisted by Keefe, Bruyette & Woods from $59.00 to $62.00 in a research note issued on Friday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has an “outperform” rating on the asset manager’s stock. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods’ target price suggests a potential upside of 15.57% from the stock’s previous close.

A number of other brokerages also recently issued reports on LAZ. Morgan Stanley lowered their price target on shares of Lazard from $61.00 to $59.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, January 6th. Bank of America began coverage on shares of Lazard in a report on Monday, January 26th. They set a “buy” rating and a $65.00 target price on the stock. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Lazard from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a report on Monday, January 12th. The Goldman Sachs Group set a $46.00 price target on shares of Lazard and gave the company a “sell” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 23rd. Finally, BMO Capital Markets assumed 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. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Lazard has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $57.13.

Lazard Price Performance

Lazard stock opened at $53.65 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.05 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.61 and a beta of 1.38. Lazard has a one year low of $31.97 and a one year high of $58.07. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.92, a current ratio of 2.58 and a quick ratio of 2.58. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $51.22 and a 200-day moving average price of $52.01.

Lazard (NYSE:LAZ) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 29th. The asset manager reported $0.80 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.68 by $0.12. Lazard had a return on equity of 34.54% and a net margin of 7.49%.The company 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 company posted $0.78 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 11.0% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Lazard will post 4.24 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC raised its position in Lazard by 34.5% in the 2nd quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 8,542 shares of the asset manager’s stock worth $430,000 after purchasing an additional 2,192 shares during the period. Amica Retiree Medical Trust grew its stake in shares of Lazard by 44.4% during the second quarter. Amica Retiree Medical Trust now owns 10,922 shares of the asset manager’s stock valued at $524,000 after buying an additional 3,356 shares during the last quarter. Amica Mutual Insurance Co. increased its holdings in shares of Lazard by 48.2% in the second quarter. Amica Mutual Insurance Co. now owns 120,707 shares of the asset manager’s stock worth $5,791,000 after buying an additional 39,263 shares during the period. TD Asset Management Inc increased its holdings in shares of Lazard by 0.6% in the second quarter. TD Asset Management Inc now owns 182,132 shares of the asset manager’s stock worth $8,739,000 after buying an additional 1,006 shares during the period. Finally, Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Lazard by 4,698.3% in the 2nd quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 5,758 shares of the asset manager’s stock valued at $276,000 after acquiring an additional 5,638 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 54.80% of the company’s stock.

Lazard News Summary

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.

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.