Lazard (NYSE:LAZ) Stock Rating Lowered by Zacks Research

Lazard (NYSE:LAZ) was downgraded by investment analysts at Zacks Research from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research note issued 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.

Several other analysts have also weighed in on the company. Morgan Stanley decreased their price objective on Lazard from $61.00 to $59.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, January 6th. UBS Group began coverage on Lazard in a research report on Thursday, December 11th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $54.00 target price for the company. The Goldman Sachs Group set a $46.00 price target on shares of Lazard and gave the stock a “sell” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 23rd. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Lazard in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reduced their price objective on shares of Lazard from $60.00 to $59.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $54.86.

Lazard Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:LAZ traded down $0.02 on Monday, hitting $51.30. 234,536 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,003,710. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $50.24 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $51.81. The firm has a market capitalization of $5.78 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.29 and a beta of 1.38. 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 has a one year low of $31.97 and a one year high of $58.07.

Lazard (NYSE:LAZ) last released 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 business had revenue of $770.76 million during 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% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts expect that Lazard will post 4.24 earnings per share for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Lazard

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. International Private Wealth Advisors LLC grew its stake in Lazard by 4.8% during the fourth quarter. International Private Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 6,688 shares of the asset manager’s stock worth $325,000 after buying an additional 307 shares during the last quarter. Gilman Hill Asset Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Lazard by 11.5% in the 4th quarter. Gilman Hill Asset Management LLC now owns 15,715 shares of the asset manager’s stock worth $763,000 after acquiring an additional 1,625 shares in the last quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC grew its position in Lazard by 67.2% during the 4th quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 37,352 shares of the asset manager’s stock worth $1,814,000 after acquiring an additional 15,011 shares during the last quarter. Oliver Luxxe Assets LLC grew its position in Lazard by 0.5% during the 4th quarter. Oliver Luxxe Assets LLC now owns 47,628 shares of the asset manager’s stock worth $2,313,000 after acquiring an additional 235 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Triumph Capital Management acquired a new stake in Lazard during the 3rd quarter valued at $42,000. 54.80% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Stories Impacting Lazard

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

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.