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

Lazard, Inc. (NYSE:LAZ) has been given an average recommendation of “Hold” by the eleven brokerages that are covering the firm, Marketbeat reports. Three analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, four have issued a hold recommendation and four have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month target price among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $57.1250.

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Citigroup reaffirmed a “market outperform” rating on shares of Lazard in a report on Friday. Bank of America began coverage on Lazard in a research note on Monday, January 26th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $65.00 price objective on the stock. UBS Group reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and issued a $59.00 price objective on shares of Lazard in a research report on Friday. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Lazard in a report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised their price target on Lazard from $59.00 to $62.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday.

More Lazard News

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 Price Performance

NYSE:LAZ opened at $53.65 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.05 billion, a PE ratio of 24.61 and a beta of 1.38. Lazard has a 1-year low of $31.97 and a 1-year high of $58.07. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $51.22 and a 200 day simple moving average of $52.01. The company has a current ratio of 2.58, a quick ratio of 2.58 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.92.

Lazard (NYSE:LAZ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The asset manager reported $0.80 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping 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 period in the prior year, the firm posted $0.78 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 11.0% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts expect that Lazard will post 4.24 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Lazard Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 20th. Stockholders 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 dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 79.05%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of LAZ. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Lazard during the second quarter worth approximately $66,547,000. M&T Bank Corp increased its stake in shares of Lazard by 2,763.4% during the fourth quarter. M&T Bank Corp now owns 1,405,899 shares of the asset manager’s stock worth $68,270,000 after purchasing an additional 1,356,800 shares during the period. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. acquired a new stake in Lazard during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $34,305,000. Alyeska Investment Group L.P. acquired a new stake in Lazard during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $18,201,000. Finally, AE Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in Lazard in the 2nd quarter valued at $16,244,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 54.80% of the company’s stock.

Lazard Company 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.