Core Insights - Lazard Ltd reported strong financial performance for Q3 2025, exceeding market expectations in both earnings and revenue [1][2][3] Financial Performance - Earnings Per Share (EPS) for Q3 2025 was $0.56, surpassing the estimated EPS of $0.44 and showing a significant increase from $0.38 in the previous year [2][6] - Revenue for the quarter reached $748.08 million, exceeding the estimated $726.25 million and marking a 12.2% increase from $645.91 million in the same period last year [3][6] Market Valuation - The company has a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of approximately 15.04, indicating how the market values its earnings [4] - The price-to-sales ratio is about 1.46, reflecting investor willingness to pay per dollar of sales [4] - The enterprise value to sales ratio stands at 1.31, showing total valuation relative to revenue [4] Financial Stability - Lazard's debt-to-equity ratio is 0.70, indicating a balanced approach to financing its assets [5] - The current ratio of 1.89 suggests a strong ability to cover short-term liabilities with short-term assets [5] - An earnings yield of 6.65% provides a comprehensive view of Lazard's financial position and potential for investors [5]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - For the first nine months of 2025, total firm-wide revenue was $2.1 billion, including record Financial Advisory revenue of $1.3 billion [4] - Third-quarter firm-wide revenue reached $725 million, up 12% year-over-year, driven by both business segments [8] - Financial Advisory revenue for the third quarter totaled $422 million, up 14% from the previous year [8] - Asset Management revenue for the third quarter was $294 million, an increase of 8% year-over-year and 10% sequentially [9] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Financial Advisory was active in M&A across healthcare, industrials, and consumer and retail sectors, with notable transactions including Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals' $6.7 billion deal [8] - Asset Management saw record gross inflows for the third quarter and the first nine months, achieving net positive flows of $1.6 billion year-to-date, with total AUM up 17% [6][10] - Management fees for Asset Management increased by 6% year-over-year, while incentive fees rose to $9 million from $3 million in the previous year [9][10] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company reported a strong client engagement across major geographies, including the U.S., Europe, and the Middle East, indicating a diversified business model [14] - The effective tax rate for the third quarter was 21.4%, down from 32.5% in the previous year, with an expected full-year 2025 effective tax rate around 20% [12] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on long-term growth strategies, including expanding its team of Financial Advisory Managing Directors and enhancing productivity [15][20] - The introduction of new active ETFs and a focus on quantitative and emerging market strategies are part of the Asset Management growth strategy [17][18] - The company aims to double firm-wide revenue from 2023 to 2030 and deliver an average annual shareholder return of at least 10% to 15% [20][21] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management sees an increasingly constructive environment for advisory activity, despite potential temporary impacts from the U.S. government shutdown [13][14] - The company anticipates continued growth in both M&A and restructuring activities, driven by a diverse range of client needs and market conditions [14][72] - Management expressed confidence in achieving operating leverage and reducing the compensation ratio in the Asset Management segment [41] Other Important Information - The company has made significant strides in hiring, with 20 new Managing Directors joining in 2025, enhancing its talent pool [4][15] - The company is expanding its presence in the Middle East and Northern Europe, reflecting its commitment to growth in these regions [11] Q&A Session Summary Question: Thoughts on hiring environment and talent retention - Management noted strong success in attracting high-quality talent and reported very few regrettable departures, indicating a healthy Managing Director pool [25][26] Question: Recent success in driving net inflows in Asset Management - Management highlighted significant inflows in quantitative strategies and emerging markets, with a positive outlook for achieving net neutral flows for the year [30][31] Question: Trends in gross outflows in Asset Management - Management confirmed that gross outflows are lower than last year, primarily from sub-advised accounts, with a more promising trajectory outside that category [40] Question: Outlook for restructuring business amid credit concerns - Management does not view recent bankruptcies as indicative of broader issues and expects both M&A and restructuring activities to coexist due to varied corporate performance [67][70] Question: Differences in M&A activity between Europe and the U.S. - Management observed a tilt towards Europe in revenue mixes and emphasized the strength of European companies despite macroeconomic challenges [74][76] Question: Impact of U.S. government shutdown on advisory deals - Management indicated that deals requiring government approvals may be delayed but expect a quick catch-up once the government reopens [78][79]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - For the first nine months of 2025, total firm-wide revenue was $2.1 billion, including record Financial Advisory revenue of $1.3 billion [4] - Third-quarter firm-wide revenue reached $725 million, up 12% year-over-year, driven by both business segments [8] - Financial Advisory revenue for the third quarter totaled $422 million, up 14% from the previous year [8] - Asset Management revenue for the third quarter was $294 million, an increase of 8% year-over-year and 10% sequentially [9] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Financial Advisory was active in M&A across healthcare, industrials, and consumer sectors, with notable transactions including Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals' $6.7 billion deal [8] - Asset Management saw record gross inflows for the third quarter, with total AUM increasing by 17% year-to-date [6][10] - Management fees for Asset Management increased by 6% year-over-year, while incentive fees rose to $9 million from $3 million [9][10] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company reported net positive flows of $1.6 billion year-to-date in Asset Management, with AUM reaching $265 billion, a 7% increase from both September 2023 and June 2023 [10] - The effective tax rate for the third quarter was 21.4%, down from 32.5% in the same quarter last year [12] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on long-term growth strategies, including expanding its team of Financial Advisory Managing Directors and enhancing productivity [15][20] - The introduction of new active ETFs and a focus on quantitative and emerging market strategies are part of the Asset Management growth strategy [17][18] - The company aims to double firm-wide revenue from 2023 to 2030 and deliver an average annual shareholder return of 10% to 15% [20][21] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management sees an increasingly constructive environment for advisory activity, despite potential impacts from the U.S. government shutdown [13][14] - The company anticipates continued growth in both M&A and restructuring activities, driven by a diverse range of client needs [14][16] - Management expressed confidence in achieving or exceeding productivity goals, with average revenue per Managing Director increasing to nearly $9 million [15] Other Important Information - The company returned $60 million to shareholders in the third quarter, including a quarterly dividend of $47 million [12] - Chris Hogan will join as CEO of Lazard Asset Management in December, expected to accelerate growth [6][18] Q&A Session Summary Question: Hiring environment and talent retention - Management noted strong success in attracting high-quality talent and minimal regrettable departures, indicating a healthy Managing Director pool [25][26] Question: Recent success in Asset Management net inflows - Inflows are primarily from quantitative strategies and emerging markets, with a strong geographic mix outside the U.S. [30][31] Question: Trends in gross outflows - Gross outflows have decreased compared to last year, particularly from sub-advised accounts, with a more promising trajectory outside that category [40] Question: Operating leverage and achieving 60% comp ratio - Management is confident in achieving operating leverage in 2026, driven by improved productivity and strategic hiring [42] Question: Secondary market outlook - The company expects strong trends in the secondary market to continue, with no signs of slowing down [84] Question: Fee rates on inflows and outflows - A small increase in average fee rates was noted, with expectations for stability in the near term [86]

Lazard's Business Overview - Lazard's Asset Management (AM) had \$265 billion in Assets Under Management (AUM) as of 3Q25[16] - Lazard's Financial Advisory (FA) had over 200 Managing Directors (MDs) [16] - 62% of Lazard's AUM is in non-USD securities as of 3Q25[17] Financial Performance - Lazard's goal is for revenue to double by 2030[29] - Lazard's Financial Advisory revenue is above goal one year early[29] - Lazard's Asset Management AUM had positive net flows September-to-date[29] - Lazard's Financial Advisory is achieving its MD growth target of 10 to 15 net additions annually[30] Asset Management - Lazard's Asset Management LTM 3Q25 net revenue was \$1.1 billion[49] - Lazard's Asset Management average management fee was 44 bps in 3Q25[49] Financial Advisory - Lazard's Financial Advisory LTM 3Q25 net revenue was \$1.8 billion[72]

Core Insights - Wall Street analysts forecast that Lazard (LAZ) will report quarterly earnings of $0.38 per share, reflecting a year-over-year decline of 26.9%, with anticipated revenues of $688.5 million, showing a slight increase of 0.6% compared to the previous year [1] Earnings Estimates - Over the last 30 days, there has been a downward revision of 1.3% in the consensus EPS estimate for the quarter, indicating a collective reconsideration by covering analysts [2] - Changes in earnings estimates are crucial for predicting investor reactions, as empirical research shows a strong correlation between earnings estimate revisions and short-term stock price performance [3] Key Metrics Projections - Analysts project 'Adjusted net revenue - Asset Management' at $261.01 million, indicating a year-over-year decline of 1.6% [5] - The estimate for 'Adjusted net revenue - Financial Advisory' is $417.05 million, reflecting a year-over-year increase of 2.2% [5] - 'Adjusted net revenue - Corporate' is expected to reach $9.44 million, suggesting a significant year-over-year decline of 17.8% [5] Assets Under Management - 'Assets under management - Total Fixed Income' is estimated at $45.12 billion, down from $46.11 billion year-over-year [6] - 'Assets under management - Total Equity' is projected to be $182.45 billion, compared to $190.43 billion from the previous year [6] - The estimated 'Assets under management - End of Period' is $236.20 billion, down from $244.67 billion year-over-year, while 'Assets under management - End of Period - Other' is expected to reach $8.64 billion, up from $8.13 billion [7] Stock Performance - Lazard shares have increased by 16.4% in the past month, outperforming the Zacks S&P 500 composite, which rose by 5.9% [7] - With a Zacks Rank 3 (Hold), LAZ is expected to closely follow overall market performance in the near term [7]

Core Insights - Lazard (LAZ) is expected to report quarterly earnings of $0.29 per share, a decline of 56.1% year-over-year, with revenues projected at $616.37 million, down 17.4% from the previous year [1] Earnings Estimates - There has been a 33% downward revision in the consensus EPS estimate over the last 30 days, indicating analysts' reassessment of their forecasts [2] - Revisions to earnings projections are crucial for predicting investor behavior and are linked to short-term stock price performance [3] Revenue Projections - Analysts estimate 'Adjusted net revenue- Asset Management' at $249.76 million, reflecting a decrease of 9.5% from the prior year [5] - The consensus for 'Adjusted net revenue- Financial Advisory' is $355.28 million, indicating a decline of 20.5% year-over-year [5] - 'Adjusted net revenue- Corporate' is projected at $11.33 million, down 52.8% from the same quarter last year [6] Assets Under Management - 'Assets under management - Total Fixed Income' is expected to be $43.55 billion, down from $47.22 billion in the same quarter last year [6] - 'Assets under management - Total Equity' is projected at $174.14 billion, compared to $195.25 billion a year ago [7] - 'Assets under management - End of Period' is estimated at $227.07 billion, down from $250.43 billion in the same quarter last year [7] - The estimate for 'Assets under management - End of Period - Other' stands at $9.40 billion, up from $7.96 billion year-over-year [8] Stock Performance - Over the past month, Lazard shares have declined by 26.9%, while the Zacks S&P 500 composite has decreased by 8.9% [8] - Lazard holds a Zacks Rank 5 (Strong Sell), suggesting it may underperform the overall market in the near term [8]