Lazard (LAZ) Stock News, Apr-Jun 2025

Lazard Asset Management (LAM) has appointed Eric Van Nostrand as Global Head of Markets and Chief Economist in a newly created role reporting to CEO Evan Russo. Van Nostrand will enhance LAM's macro insights and market perspectives across investment teams. He joins from his position as Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Economic Policy under Janet Yellen, where he served as Chief Economist and received the Alexander Hamilton Award. Previously, he was a Managing Director at BlackRock, managing systematic equity funds and leading research for Multi-Asset Strategies. Van Nostrand, who holds degrees from the University of Pennsylvania and Yale Law School, will lead economic and market analysis while overseeing investment content development as part of LAM's executive leadership team.

Lazard (NYSE: LAZ) has opened its new UK headquarters at 20 Manchester Square, marking a significant expansion from its previous location at 50 Stratton Street. The larger office space will house both Financial Advisory and Asset Management businesses, serving as one of Lazard's three main global offices alongside New York and Paris. The move reinforces Lazard's nearly 150-year presence in London since 1877 and demonstrates its commitment to the UK as a leading financial center. The new headquarters features sustainable design elements including solar panels, rainwater harvesting, and adherence to UK Green Building Council framework for net-zero carbon emissions. Located near the Wallace Collection and Regent's Park, the building emphasizes innovation, collaboration, and environmental responsibility while supporting the firm's continued European growth.

Lazard Global Total Return and Income Fund (NYSE:LGI) has declared a monthly distribution of $0.14646 per share, payable on June 24, 2025. The distribution breakdown includes 13% from net realized short-term capital gains, 71% from net realized long-term capital gains, and 16% return of capital. The Fund's performance metrics show an average annual total return of 7.13% since inception and 10.42% for the 5-year period ending April 30, 2025. The current annualized distribution rate is 10.47% of NAV. The Fund invests in a portfolio of 60-80 US and non-US equity securities, focusing on companies with market caps over $2 billion, including emerging markets exposure. As of April 30, 2025, Lazard Asset Management managed $231.4 billion in client assets.

Lazard (NYSE: LAZ) announced that its CEO and Chairman Peter R. Orszag will participate in a fireside discussion at the Morgan Stanley U.S. Financials, Payments & CRE Conference. The event is scheduled for June 10, 2025, at 9:00 a.m. ET. Investors can access the live audio webcast through Lazard's Investor Relations website at www.lazard.com, where a replay will also be available after the conference.

Lazard Asset Management has converted its International Equity Advantage mutual fund into an ETF called the Lazard International Dynamic Equity ETF (NYSE: IEQ). The new ETF offers a more tax-efficient and lower-fee solution for investing in international equities. IEQ employs a bottom-up selection process and combines machine intelligence with fundamental insights to build a diversified portfolio of international stocks.

Led by Portfolio Manager Paul Moghtader, the ETF aims to deliver consistent excess returns while avoiding overreliance on single styles or factors. This launch follows Lazard's recent ETF introductions including THMZ, JPY, and TEKY, demonstrating the firm's commitment to expanding its actively managed ETF platform.

Lazard (NYSE: LAZ) reported preliminary assets under management (AUM) of $231.4 billion for April 2025. The month's changes included:

- FX appreciation: $5.1 billion
- Market depreciation: $0.9 billion
- Net outflows: $0.2 billion

The AUM breakdown shows:
- Equity: $176.3 billion
- Fixed Income: $46.3 billion
- Other: $8.8 billion

Lazard (NYSE: LAZ) reported first-quarter 2025 results with net revenue of $648 million and adjusted net revenue of $643 million. The company posted net income of $60 million ($0.56 per share) on both GAAP and adjusted basis.

Financial Advisory revenue decreased 19% to $367 million, while Asset Management revenue declined 2% to $288 million compared to Q1 2024. Assets Under Management (AUM) stood at $227 billion, down 9% year-over-year. The company launched three active ETFs and announced a strategic alliance with Arini Capital Management to expand private capital connectivity across Europe.

During Q1 2025, Lazard returned $175 million to shareholders through dividends ($45M), share repurchases ($36M), and employee tax obligations ($94M). The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.50 per share, payable on May 16, 2025.

Lazard (NYSE: LAZ) has announced a quarterly dividend declaration following a Board of Directors vote. The company will distribute a dividend of $0.50 per share on its outstanding common stock. Shareholders who are recorded as stockholders by May 5, 2025, will receive the dividend payment on May 16, 2025.

Lazard Global Total Return and Income Fund (NYSE:LGI) has announced its monthly distribution of $0.14646 per share, payable on May 22, 2025, to shareholders of record on May 12, 2025. The distribution comprises 38% from net realized long-term capital gains ($0.05627) and 62% return of capital ($0.09019).

The Fund's performance metrics show an average annual total return of 7.16% since inception and 12.63% for the 5-year period ending March 31, 2025. The current annualized distribution rate is 10.39% of NAV. However, the Fund has experienced a negative cumulative total return of -1.37% for the fiscal year through March 31, 2025.

The Fund invests in 60-80 US and non-US equity securities, emerging market currencies, and debt obligations. As of March 31, 2025, Lazard Asset Management managed $227.4 billion in client assets.