Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp Takes Position in Lazard, Inc. $LAZ

Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp acquired a new position in Lazard, Inc. (NYSE:LAZ) in the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm acquired 22,921 shares of the asset manager’s stock, valued at approximately $1,210,000.

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

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.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have issued reports on LAZ shares. Citigroup restated a “market outperform” rating on shares of Lazard in a report on Friday. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Lazard in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted their price objective on Lazard from $59.00 to $62.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday. UBS Group reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a $59.00 price target on shares of Lazard in a research note on Friday. Finally, Bank of America initiated coverage on shares of Lazard in a report on Monday, January 26th. They set a “buy” rating and a $65.00 price objective on the stock. Four 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.com, Lazard has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $57.13.

Lazard Stock Performance

Lazard stock opened at $53.65 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $6.05 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.61 and a beta of 1.38. Lazard, Inc. has a 12 month low of $31.97 and a 12 month 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 stock’s 50-day moving average is $51.22 and its 200-day moving average is $52.01.

Lazard (NYSE:LAZ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The asset manager reported $0.80 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate 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 quarter last year, the firm posted $0.78 earnings per share. Lazard’s revenue for the quarter was up 11.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts anticipate that Lazard, Inc. will post 4.24 earnings per share for the current year.

Lazard Announces Dividend

The business 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 dividend of $0.50 per share. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.7%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, February 9th. Lazard’s payout ratio is currently 79.05%.

Lazard Profile

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.