Lazard, Inc. (LAZ) To Go Ex-Dividend on February 9th

Lazard, Inc. (NYSE:LAZ) declared a quarterly dividend on Wednesday, January 28th. Investors of record on Monday, February 9th will be given a dividend of 0.50 per share by the asset manager on Friday, February 20th. This represents a c) annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.7%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, February 9th.

Lazard has decreased its dividend payment by an average of 0.0%per year over the last three years. Lazard has a dividend payout ratio of 53.5% indicating that its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Equities research analysts expect Lazard to earn $5.06 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $2.00 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 39.5%.

Lazard Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE LAZ opened at $53.85 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $6.07 billion, a PE ratio of 21.28 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. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $51.10 and its 200 day moving average price is $52.01. Lazard has a 1 year low of $31.97 and a 1 year high of $58.07.

Lazard (NYSE:LAZ) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The asset manager reported $0.80 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.68 by $0.12. The firm had revenue of $892.00 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $876.32 million. Lazard had a return on equity of 35.02% and a net margin of 8.89%.The business’s revenue was up 11.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.78 EPS. On average, research analysts predict that Lazard will post 4.24 earnings per share for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Lazard

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Teza Capital Management LLC increased its stake in Lazard by 2.4% during the second quarter. Teza Capital Management LLC now owns 8,059 shares of the asset manager’s stock worth $387,000 after purchasing an additional 187 shares during the period. Lesa Sroufe & Co increased its stake in Lazard by 0.4% during the 3rd quarter. Lesa Sroufe & Co now owns 52,836 shares of the asset manager’s stock worth $2,789,000 after buying an additional 217 shares during the period. Sound Income Strategies LLC lifted its holdings in Lazard by 59.5% during the 4th quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC now owns 590 shares of the asset manager’s stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 220 shares in the last quarter. IFP Advisors Inc boosted its position in 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. Finally, Oliver Luxxe Assets LLC grew its stake in shares of Lazard by 0.5% in the fourth 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 in the last quarter. 54.80% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.