Federated Hermes Inc. Sells 10,626 Shares of Lazard, Inc. $LAZ

Federated Hermes Inc. reduced its holdings in shares of Lazard, Inc. (NYSE:LAZ) by 1.8% during the third quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 574,286 shares of the asset manager’s stock after selling 10,626 shares during the period. Federated Hermes Inc.’s holdings in Lazard were worth $30,311,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Ariel Investments LLC lifted its holdings in shares of 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 acquiring an additional 134,717 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp lifted its stake in Lazard by 9.3% in the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 2,108,229 shares of the asset manager’s stock worth $101,153,000 after purchasing an additional 180,244 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in Lazard during the second quarter valued at about $66,547,000. Voya Investment Management LLC grew its stake 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 valued at $61,532,000 after buying an additional 123,265 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. increased its holdings 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 worth $32,902,000 after buying an additional 163,983 shares during the period. 54.80% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Lazard Price Performance

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

Lazard (NYSE:LAZ) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The asset manager reported $0.80 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.68 by $0.12. The company 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%.The firm’s revenue was up 11.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.78 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Lazard, Inc. will post 4.24 earnings per share for the current year.

Lazard Dividend Announcement

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

Key Stories 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

LAZ has been the subject of several analyst reports. Bank of America initiated coverage on Lazard in a report on Monday, January 26th. They set a “buy” rating and a $65.00 target price for the company. 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 for the company. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods increased their price objective on Lazard from $59.00 to $62.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday. Zacks Research cut shares of Lazard from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a report on Monday, January 12th. Finally, Morgan Stanley lowered their price target on shares of Lazard from $61.00 to $59.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, January 6th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $57.13.

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.