Lazard (NYSE:LAZ) Price Target Lowered to $44.00 at UBS Group

Lazard (NYSE:LAZ) had its price objective lowered by equities research analysts at UBS Group from $45.00 to $44.00 in a research note issued on Monday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has a “neutral” rating on the asset manager’s stock. UBS Group’s target price indicates a potential upside of 0.35% from the stock’s current price.

Several other research firms have also recently commented on LAZ. Bank of America initiated coverage on Lazard in a research report on Monday, January 26th. They set a “buy” rating and a $65.00 target price for the company. Citigroup reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Lazard in a report on Friday, April 10th. Wall Street Zen cut Lazard from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, March 14th. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their price objective on Lazard from $40.00 to $45.00 and gave the stock a “sell” rating in a report on Tuesday, April 14th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their price objective on Lazard from $47.00 to $49.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a report on Monday. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $52.63.

Lazard Price Performance

Lazard stock traded down $1.28 during midday trading on Monday, hitting $43.85. 1,279,668 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,339,005. Lazard has a 52-week low of $38.67 and a 52-week high of $58.75. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $45.25 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $48.96. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.85, a quick ratio of 2.28 and a current ratio of 2.28. The company has a market cap of $4.90 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.33, a PEG ratio of 0.40 and a beta of 1.44.

Lazard (NYSE:LAZ) last posted its earnings results on Friday, May 1st. The asset manager reported $0.42 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.52 by ($0.10). Lazard had a return on equity of 29.42% and a net margin of 8.47%.The business had revenue of $673.00 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $707.42 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.56 earnings per share. Lazard’s quarterly revenue was up 16.8% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Lazard will post 3.36 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity

In related news, CEO Peter Richard Orszag sold 69,170 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $40.76, for a total transaction of $2,819,369.20. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 210,942 shares in the company, valued at $8,597,995.92. This represents a 24.69% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, CEO Christopher Hogbin sold 3,944 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $39.37, for a total value of $155,275.28. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 11,829 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $465,707.73. This represents a 25.00% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 80,999 shares of company stock valued at $3,292,962 over the last 90 days. 0.95% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Fifth Third Bancorp bought a new position in Lazard during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $169,000. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC bought a new position in Lazard during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $1,274,000. Hsbc Holdings PLC bought a new position in Lazard during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $794,000. Abel Hall LLC bought a new position in Lazard during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $267,000. Finally, K.J. Harrison & Partners Inc bought a new position in Lazard during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $212,000. Institutional investors own 54.80% of the company’s stock.

More Lazard News

Here are the key news stories impacting Lazard this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 profit surge driven by asset management — Lazard reported strong asset-management growth that pushed operating profit higher (reported as a ~67% profit increase in Q1), a bright spot investors may view as durable fee income. Lazard profit soars 67% in Q1 2026 on asset management growth
• Positive Sentiment: Strategic hire in energy & infrastructure — Lazard added Michael Ure as a senior adviser in its Power, Energy & Infrastructure Group, bolstering deal and sector expertise that could help win advisory mandates. Lazard hires former Western Midstream head Ure as senior adviserPR: Lazard Hires Michael Ure
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst price-target bump — Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised its target from $47 to $49 (market perform), signaling modest upside from current levels and lending some support to the shares. Benzinga coverage
• Positive Sentiment: Growth initiatives: Campbell Lutyens deal & private-capital target — Lazard’s acquisition-related moves and a disclosed $500M 2027 private-capital advisory revenue target (and planned Lazard CL launch) create a clearer growth path beyond traditional advisory fees. Lazard Acquisition of Campbell Lutyens Adds Growth LeverSeeking Alpha: $500M target
• Neutral Sentiment: Product expansion into retail and international markets — Lazard Asset Management is launching an emerging-markets/quant strategy to retail channels (Australia and elsewhere), diversifying distribution but with uncertain near-term revenue impact. Lazard AM launches EM fund to retailInvestorDaily: EM quant strategy
• Negative Sentiment: Q1 earnings and revenue miss; rising expenses — Lazard missed EPS and revenue estimates for Q1, with advisory revenue softer and operating expenses up year-over-year, which is the main reason the stock is under pressure today. Lazard Shares Down as Q1 Earnings Miss Estimates
• Negative Sentiment: Market reaction and headline volatility — Media coverage emphasizing the miss and “obliterated” share moves has amplified selling pressure despite strategic positives, contributing to the current downtrend. MSN: Why Lazard shares are getting obliterated

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.