Lazard (NYSE:LAZ) Downgraded by Zacks Research to Strong Sell

Zacks Research lowered shares of Lazard (NYSE:LAZ) from a hold rating to a strong sell rating in a research note released on Monday,Zacks.com reports. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Lazard’s Q4 2025 earnings at $0.66 EPS, Q3 2026 earnings at $0.92 EPS, Q4 2026 earnings at $1.12 EPS and Q4 2027 earnings at $1.06 EPS.

Other equities analysts also recently issued research reports about the stock. BMO Capital Markets began coverage on shares of Lazard in a research note on Friday, October 3rd. They set a “market perform” rating and a $56.00 target price for the company. UBS Group assumed coverage on shares of Lazard in a research note on Thursday, December 11th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $54.00 price target on the stock. Morgan Stanley reduced their price objective on shares of Lazard from $61.00 to $59.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, January 6th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Lazard in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods cut their target price on Lazard from $60.00 to $59.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Lazard currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $54.86.

Lazard Stock Down 0.0%

Shares of LAZ stock traded down $0.01 during trading hours on Monday, reaching $51.31. 231,523 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,002,682. The business’s fifty day moving average is $50.24 and its two-hundred day moving average is $51.81. The firm has a market capitalization of $5.79 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.27 and a beta of 1.38. Lazard 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.

Lazard (NYSE:LAZ) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, October 23rd. The asset manager reported $0.56 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.39 by $0.17. Lazard had a net margin of 8.89% and a return on equity of 35.02%. The firm had revenue of $770.76 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $739.91 million. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.38 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was down 4.7% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts expect that Lazard will post 4.24 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Lazard Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, November 14th. Shareholders of record on Monday, November 3rd were paid a $0.50 dividend. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, November 3rd. Lazard’s payout ratio is currently 79.05%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in LAZ. IFP Advisors Inc lifted its holdings in shares of Lazard by 53.5% in the 3rd quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 643 shares of the asset manager’s stock valued at $34,000 after buying an additional 224 shares during the period. Costello Asset Management INC purchased a new stake in Lazard during the third quarter worth about $37,000. State of Wyoming acquired a new position in Lazard during the second quarter worth about $38,000. Triumph Capital Management purchased a new position in Lazard in the third quarter valued at about $42,000. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its position in shares of Lazard by 57.2% during the 2nd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 918 shares of the asset manager’s stock valued at $44,000 after acquiring an additional 334 shares during the period. 54.80% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Lazard News

Here are the key news stories impacting Lazard this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Business update shows AUM resilience: Lazard reported preliminary December 31, 2025 assets under management of approximately $254.3 billion, driven by $2.2B of market appreciation and $1.5B of FX gains; net outflows were modest (~$0.3B). That supports fee revenue stability and partly offsets investor concerns. Lazard Reports December 2025 Assets Under Management
• Neutral Sentiment: Earnings date set: Lazard will release fourth-quarter and full-year 2025 results on Jan. 29, 2026 — a scheduled catalyst that can drive intraday moves depending on beats/misses and guidance. Investors should expect heightened volume and sensitivity around that print. Lazard to Announce Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2025 Financial Results
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks Research downgraded LAZ to “Strong Sell” and trimmed near-term EPS forecasts (notably cutting Q4 2025 estimates from $0.83 to $0.66 and lowering other quarter estimates), signaling weaker analyst sentiment and putting downward pressure on the stock. Zacks Research
• Negative Sentiment: Legal/reputational risk: multiple outlets report a former Lazard banker was charged in an insider-trading case tied to healthcare deals (alleged tips that produced ~$41M). Even though the individual is ex-employee, the headlines raise governance and reputational concerns that can weigh on the stock. Ex-Lazard Banker Charged in Insider Trading Case

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.