We've just been talking about. You know, you've been to this week many times. Curious what you find different this year.So one thing that's different is a lot of folks from the Middle East are here because of the of the crisis in the Middle East. And that's too bad because they had such great content of the conversation. But the the the conference this year and for the last two years has been really striking because everything that everyone is discussing is relevant to everyone else.So the utilities are int ...

OpenAI said Tuesday it is releasing a set of prompts that developers can use to make their apps safer for teens. The AI lab said the set of teen safety policies can be used with its open-weight safety model known as gpt-oss-safeguard.Rather than working from scratch to figure out how to make AI safer for teens, developers can use these prompts to fortify what they build. They address issues like graphic violence and sexual content, harmful body ideals and behaviors, dangerous activities and challenges, roma ...

You're clearly seeing stress in software and in the retailoriented uh aspects of of the private credit sector as a whole. But with regard to the rest of it and with regard to the institutional backers, we still think uh it's pretty limited. Um and the risk at this, it's almost like a run on the bank. ...

Lazard Global Total Return and Income Fund Declares Monthly Distribution and Issues Estimated Sources of the Distribution Announced in February Accessibility StatementSkip NavigationNEW YORK, March 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Lazard Global Total Return and Income Fund, Inc. (the "Fund") (NYSE: LGI)is confirming today, pursuant to its Managed Distribution Policy, as previously authorized by its Board of Directors, a monthly distribution of $0.15340 per share on the Fund's outstanding common stock. The distribut ...

Core Viewpoint - Lazard, Inc. is identified as one of the most undervalued financial stocks to buy, despite recent price target reductions by major banks [1][2]. Group 1: Price Target Adjustments - UBS lowered its price target for Lazard to $48 from $59 while maintaining a Neutral rating [1]. - Goldman Sachs reduced its price target to $46 from $53 and kept a Sell rating, citing a year-over-year increase in investment banking volumes of about 4% but noting potential negative growth due to geopolitical uncertainties [2]. Group 2: Financial Performance - As of February 28, 2026, Lazard reported preliminary assets under management (AUM) of approximately $277.7 billion, which included $8.9 billion in market appreciation and $4.2 billion in net inflows, offset by $0.8 billion in foreign exchange depreciation and a $1.5 billion decrease from the sale of its stake in Edgewater Funds [3]. Group 3: Company Overview - Lazard operates as a financial advisory and asset management firm across various regions, including the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Asia Pacific, through its Financial Advisory and Asset Management segments [5].

Lazard, Inc. (NYSE:LAZ) is included among the 15 Best Dividend Leaders to Buy Right Now. Lazard (LAZ) Updates February AUM at $277.7B amid Inflows and Edgewater Stake Sale On March 10, Lazard, Inc. (NYSE:LAZ) reported that its preliminary assets under management stood at about $277.7 billion as of February 28, 2026. The total included $8.9 billion in market appreciation during the month. Net inflows added another $4.2 billion. Currency movements had the opposite effect, with FX depreciation reducing AUM ...

Core Insights - Dividend-paying companies are closing the earnings growth gap with technology stocks and contributing more to earnings momentum within the S&P 500 [1][2] - The trend indicates that dividend stocks may provide better income and stability for investors amid market volatility [2] - The S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats Index reported a recovery in earnings growth from negative 5.5% in Q1 2025 to positive 9% by Q4 2025, contrasting with the Nasdaq 100 Index's decline in earnings growth [3] Company Insights - Lazard, Inc. reported preliminary assets under management of approximately $277.7 billion as of February 28, 2026, with $8.9 billion in market appreciation and net inflows of $4.2 billion [8] - Lazard's recent sale of its stake in the Edgewater Funds management vehicles is part of its strategy to simplify operations and align with its long-term growth plan, Lazard 2030 [9][10] - Sonoco Products Company announced a $70 per ton price increase for uncoated recycled paperboard in the U.S. and Canada, effective April 3, 2026, due to tightening market conditions and inflationary costs [11] - Sonoco also plans to raise prices for converted paperboard products by 8%, effective April 15, 2026 [11] - In 2025, Sonoco reported net sales of $7.5 billion from continuing operations and employs about 22,000 people across 265 operations in 37 countries [12]

Core Insights - Lazard, Inc. (LAZ) reported a preliminary asset under management (AUM) of $277.7 billion as of February 28, 2026, marking a 4% increase from January 31, 2026, driven by net inflows of $4.2 billion and market appreciation of $8.9 billion, partially offset by foreign exchange depreciation of $0.8 billion and a $1.5 billion reduction from the sale of its stake in Edgewater Funds [1][6] AUM Breakdown - In February, Lazard's equity assets rose by 5.8% to $207.1 billion, while fixed-income assets increased by 1.9% to $36.5 billion, and multi-assets grew nearly 1% to $25.5 billion [2] - Conversely, alternative assets saw a significant decline of 14.1% to $8.7 billion [2][6] Revenue and Cost Management - The company's heavy reliance on financial advisory fees is expected to impact top-line growth, but ongoing cost-management efforts are anticipated to support the bottom line in the near term [3] Stock Performance - Over the past six months, Lazard's shares have decreased by 22.1%, which is a better performance compared to the industry decline of 28.8% [4] Peer Comparison - Franklin Resources, Inc. (BEN) reported a preliminary AUM of $1.74 trillion as of February 28, 2026, reflecting a 1.7% increase from the previous month, attributed to market performance and long-term net inflows of $10 billion [8] - T. Rowe Price Group, Inc. (TROW) is expected to announce its monthly performance soon, with its shares having declined by 16.2% over the past six months [9]

Core Insights - Lazard, Inc. reported preliminary assets under management (AUM) of approximately $277.7 billion as of February 28, 2026, reflecting a month-over-month increase driven by market appreciation and net inflows [1] AUM Breakdown - The AUM as of February 28, 2026, included: - Equity: $207,093 million - Fixed Income: $36,467 million - Multi Asset: $25,462 million - Alternatives: $8,716 million - The total AUM increased from $266,953 million as of January 31, 2026, marking a growth of $10.785 billion [1] Market Influences - The increase in AUM was attributed to: - Market appreciation of $8.9 billion - Net inflows of $4.2 billion - Foreign exchange depreciation of $0.8 billion - A decrease of $1.5 billion due to the sale of a stake in Edgewater Funds management vehicles [1]

Group 1 - CVC is considering an investment in Belgian state-owned bank Belfius, with the Belgian government planning to sell 20% to 30% of its stake to raise funds for defense [1][2] - The projected net profit for Belfius in 2025 is €1.16 billion ($1.3 billion), suggesting a valuation of approximately €10 billion [2][4] - Lazard is advising the Belgian government on strategic options for Belfius, which may include a potential initial public offering (IPO) [3][4] Group 2 - The Belgian government aims to increase defense spending to 2% of GDP by 2029, currently at 1.3%, in line with NATO requirements [3] - NATO member states have agreed to target a total defense spending increase to 5% of GDP by 2035 [3] - At an estimated valuation of €10 billion, Belfius' book value would be 0.8 times its shareholder equity of €12.5 billion as of December 2025 [4]