Company: LAZ
Filing Date: 2025-02-24
Form Type: 10-K
Source: 0001628280-25-007441
Chunk: 298

Company: Lazard, Inc.
Filing Date: 2025-02-24
Form: 10-K
Item: Item 7
Chunk 298
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4 and 2023, respectively.

Risks Related to Cash and Cash Equivalents and Corporate Indebtedness

A significant portion of the Company’s indebtedness has fixed interest rates, while its cash and cash equivalents generally have market interest rates. Based on account balances as of December 31, 2024, Lazard estimates that its annual operating income relating to cash and cash equivalents would increase by approximately $13 million in the event interest rates were to increase by 1% and decrease by approximately $13 million if rates were to decrease by 1%.

As of December 31, 2024, the Company’s cash and cash equivalents totaled approximately $1,308 million. Substantially all of the Company’s cash and cash equivalents were invested in (i) highly liquid institutional money market funds (a significant majority of which were invested solely in U.S. Government or agency money market funds), (ii) in short-term interest bearing and non-interest bearing accounts at a number of leading banks throughout the world and (iii) in short-term certificates of deposit from such banks. Cash and cash equivalents are continuously monitored. On a regular basis, management reviews its investment profile as well as the credit profile of its list of depositor banks in order to adjust any deposit or investment thresholds as necessary.

Operational Risk

Operational risk is inherent in all of our businesses and may, for example, manifest itself in the form of errors, breaches in the system of internal controls, employee misconduct, business interruptions, fraud, including fraud perpetrated by third parties, legal actions due to operating deficiencies, noncompliance or cyber attacks. The Company maintains a framework including policies and a system of internal controls designed to monitor and manage operational risk and provide management with timely and accurate information. Management within each of our operating subsidiaries is primarily responsible for its operational risk programs. The Company has in place business continuity and disaster recovery programs that manage its capabilities to provide services in the case of a disruption. We purchase insurance policies designed to help protect the Company against accidental loss and losses that may significantly affect our financial 

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objectives, personnel, property or our ability to continue to meet our responsibilities to our various stakeholder groups. See Item 1A, “Risk Factors” above for more information regarding operational risk in our business and Item 1C, “Cybersecurity” above for more information on the Company’s processes to identify, assess and manage cybersecurity risks.