Lazard (NYSE:LAZ) Releases Quarterly Earnings Results, Beats Estimates By $0.12 EPS

Lazard (NYSE:LAZ) released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday. The asset manager reported $0.80 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.68 by $0.12, FiscalAI reports. The company had revenue of $892.00 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $876.32 million. Lazard had a return on equity of 35.02% and a net margin of 8.89%.Lazard’s revenue was up 11.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.78 earnings per share.

Here are the key takeaways from Lazard’s conference call:

• Firm-wide results showed progress on Lazard 2030 with $3.0 billion revenue in 2025, record Financial Advisory revenue of $1.8 billion, and AUM up 12%, supporting management’s growth thesis.
• Financial Advisory is being scaled through aggressive MD hiring (net additions well above 2024 levels) while productivity rose to $8.9 million per MD and management raised a 2030 target of $12.5 million per MD.
• Asset Management hit an inflection point with record gross inflows, the launch of seven U.S. active ETFs (>$800M AUM), and $13 billion of won-but-not-yet-funded mandates, underpinning guidance for positive net flows in 2026.
• Near-term AM headwinds included Q4 net outflows of $19.7 billion (largely from the closure of one U.S. sub‑advised mandate), a 4% AUM decline versus September 2025, and an ~$0.8 billion FX drag that could pressure quarter-to-quarter metrics.
• Management continues to invest in talent and technology while trimming the compensation ratio to 65.5%; they returned $393 million to shareholders in 2025 and declared a $0.50 quarterly dividend, but non‑comp expenses are expected to rise mid‑to‑high single digits as investments continue.

Lazard Stock Up 2.7%

NYSE:LAZ traded up $1.45 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $54.06. The company had a trading volume of 1,192,141 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,012,058. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $50.95 and a 200-day simple moving average of $52.00. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.09 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.47 and a beta of 1.38. Lazard has a 1 year low of $31.97 and a 1 year high of $58.07. 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 Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 20th. Investors of record on Monday, February 9th will be issued a $0.50 dividend. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.7%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, February 9th. Lazard’s dividend payout ratio is currently 79.05%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have issued reports on the stock. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Lazard in a report on Monday, December 29th. Bank of America began coverage on shares of Lazard in a research note on Monday. They set a “buy” rating and a $65.00 price objective on the stock. Zacks Research downgraded Lazard from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a report on Monday, January 12th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods decreased their price objective on Lazard from $60.00 to $59.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Finally, UBS Group initiated coverage on Lazard in a research note on Thursday, December 11th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $54.00 target price for the company. 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. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $56.13.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Lazard

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. purchased a new position in Lazard in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $34,305,000. Alyeska Investment Group L.P. purchased a new position in shares of Lazard in the third quarter valued at $18,201,000. Mackenzie Financial Corp boosted its position in Lazard by 1,065.3% in the 3rd quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp now owns 347,564 shares of the asset manager’s stock valued at $18,334,000 after buying an additional 317,738 shares during the last quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. boosted its position in Lazard by 11.3% in the 3rd quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 1,884,093 shares of the asset manager’s stock valued at $99,442,000 after buying an additional 192,008 shares during the last quarter. Finally, State Street Corp grew its stake in shares of Lazard by 9.3% during the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 2,108,229 shares of the asset manager’s stock valued at $101,153,000 after acquiring an additional 180,244 shares in the last quarter. 54.80% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.