Lazard, Inc. (NYSE:LAZ) Given Average Rating of “Hold” by Brokerages

Lazard, Inc. (NYSE:LAZ) has received an average recommendation of “Hold” from the eleven analysts that are presently covering the company, Marketbeat reports. Three analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have issued a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 1 year price objective among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $57.1250.

LAZ has been the subject of several research reports. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Lazard in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Zacks Research cut Lazard from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a report on Monday, January 12th. UBS Group restated a “neutral” rating and issued a $59.00 price target on shares of Lazard in a report on Friday. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their price objective on Lazard from $59.00 to $62.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group set a $46.00 target price on Lazard and gave the company a “sell” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 23rd.

Key Headlines Impacting 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%

NYSE LAZ opened at $53.65 on Friday. 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 firm has a market cap of $6.05 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.61 and a beta of 1.38. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $51.22 and its 200-day moving average is $52.01.

Lazard (NYSE:LAZ) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 29th. The asset manager reported $0.80 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.68 by $0.12. The business had revenue of $892.00 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $876.32 million. Lazard had a return on equity of 34.54% and a net margin of 7.49%.Lazard’s quarterly revenue was up 11.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $0.78 EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Lazard will post 4.24 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Lazard Announces Dividend

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

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in LAZ. AQR Capital Management LLC increased its stake in Lazard by 131.8% in the 1st quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 12,563 shares of the asset manager’s stock valued at $544,000 after buying an additional 7,144 shares during the last quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Lazard by 27.5% in the 1st 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 in the last quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC grew its holdings in shares of Lazard by 8.4% in the 1st quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 238,288 shares of the asset manager’s stock valued at $10,318,000 after acquiring an additional 18,444 shares in the last quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC increased its position in shares of Lazard by 34.5% in the second quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 8,542 shares of the asset manager’s stock valued at $430,000 after acquiring an additional 2,192 shares during the last quarter. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC raised its holdings in Lazard by 57.2% during the second quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 918 shares of the asset manager’s stock worth $44,000 after acquiring an additional 334 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 54.80% of the company’s stock.

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.