Company: LAZ
Filing Date: 2025-10-27
Form Type: 10-Q
Source: 0001311370-25-000052
Chunk: 279

Company: Lazard, Inc.
Filing Date: 2025-10-27
Form: 10-Q
Item: Part II, Item 8
Chunk 279
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 liabilities, excluding the derivative liability arising from the Company’s obligation pertaining to LFI and other similar deferred compensation arrangements, amounted to $37 million and $3 million at September 30, 2025 and December 31, 2024, respectively.

The Company also records derivative liabilities relating to its obligations pertaining to LFI awards and other similar deferred compensation arrangements, the fair value of which is based on the value of the underlying investments, adjusted for estimated forfeitures. Changes in the fair value of the derivative liabilities are equally offset by the changes in the fair value of investments which are expected to be delivered upon settlement of LFI awards. Derivative liabilities relating to LFI amounted to $185 million and $271 million at September 30, 2025 and December 31, 2024, 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 typically bear interest at market interest rates. Based on account balances as of September 30, 2025, Lazard estimates that its annual operating income relating to cash and cash equivalents would increase by approximately $12 million in the event interest rates were to increase by 1% and decrease by approximately $12 million if rates were to decrease by 1%.

As of September 30, 2025, the Company’s cash and cash equivalents totaled approximately $1,172 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, (iii) overnight sponsored repurchase agreements and (iv) 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