Lazard's February AUM Rises 4% on Net Inflows & Market Gains

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]