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Lazard Funds Summary Prospectus  May 1, 2017

Before you invest, you may want to review the Portfolio’s Prospectus, which contains more information about the Portfolio and its risks. The Portfolio’s Prospectus and Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”), both dated May 1, 2017 (as revised or supplemented), are incorporated by reference into this Summary Prospectus. You can find the Portfolio’s Prospectus, SAI and other information about the Portfolio online at www.LazardNet.com/lam/us/lazardfunds.shtml. You can also get this information at no cost by calling (800) 823-6300 or by sending an e-mail request to ContactUs@LazardNet.com.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Institutional
Shares

 

Open
Shares

Lazard Developing Markets Equity Portfolio

 

LDMIX

 

LDMOX

Investment Objective

The Portfolio seeks long-term capital appreciation.

Fees and Expenses

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Portfolio, a series of The Lazard Funds, Inc. (the “Fund”). Investors transacting in Institutional shares through a financial intermediary acting as a broker in an agency capacity may be required to pay a commission directly to the broker.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Institutional
Shares

 

Open
Shares

 

Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a
percentage of the value of your investment)

 

 

 

 

 

Management Fees

 

1.00%

 

 

 

1.00%

 

 

Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees

 

None

 

 

 

.25%

 

 

Other Expenses

 

.23%

 

 

 

.40%

 

 

Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses

 

1.23%

 

 

 

1.65%

 

 

Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement*

 

 

 

 

.05%

 

 

Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement*

 

1.23%

 

 

 

1.60%

 

 

 

*

 

Reflects a contractual agreement by Lazard Asset Management LLC (the “Investment Manager”) to waive its fee and, if necessary, reimburse the Portfolio until May 1, 2018, to the extent Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses exceed 1.30% and 1.60% of the average daily net assets of the Portfolio’s Institutional Shares and Open Shares, respectively, exclusive of taxes, brokerage, interest on borrowings, fees and expenses of “Acquired Funds” and extraordinary expenses. This agreement can only be amended by agreement of the Fund, upon approval by the Board, and the Investment Manager to lower the net amount shown and will terminate automatically in the event of termination of the Management Agreement between the Investment Manager and the Fund, on behalf of the Portfolio.

Example

This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Portfolio with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.

The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Portfolio for the time periods indicated and then hold or redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Portfolio’s operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1 Year

 

3 Years

 

5 Years

 

10 Years

 

Institutional Shares

 

 

$

 

125

 

 

 

$

 

390

 

 

 

$

 

676

 

 

 

$

 

1,489

 

 

Open Shares

 

 

$

 

163

 

 

 

$

 

515

 

 

 

$

 

892

 

 

 

$

 

1,950

 

 


 

Portfolio Turnover

The Portfolio pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Portfolio shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual portfolio operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Portfolio’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Portfolio’s portfolio turnover rate was 56% of the average value of its portfolio.

Principal Investment Strategies

The Portfolio invests primarily in equity securities, principally common stocks, of non-US companies whose principal activities are located in emerging market countries (also known as “developing markets”).

Emerging market countries include all countries represented by the MSCI Emerging Markets Index, which currently includes: Brazil, Chile, China, Colombia, Czech Republic, Egypt, Greece, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Qatar, Russia, South Africa, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey and United Arab Emirates.

The Investment Manager employs a relative growth investment philosophy that is based on value creation through the process of bottom-up stock selection. The Investment Manager’s approach consists of an analytical framework, accounting validation, fundamental analysis and portfolio construction parameters. The Investment Manager’s selection process focuses on growth and considers the sustainability of growth and the trade off between valuation and growth.

Under normal circumstances, the Portfolio invests at least 80% of its assets in equity securities of companies whose principal business activities are located in emerging market countries.

Principal Investment Risks

The value of your investment in the Portfolio will fluctuate, which means you could lose money.

Market Risk. Market risks, including political, regulatory, market and economic developments, and developments that impact specific economic sectors, industries or segments of the market, can affect the value of the Portfolio’s investments. In addition, turbulence in financial markets and reduced liquidity in equity, credit and/or fixed income markets may negatively affect many issuers, which could adversely affect the Portfolio.

Issuer Risk. The value of a security may decline for a number of reasons which directly relate to the issuer, such as management performance, financial leverage and reduced demand for the issuer’s goods or services, as well as the historical and prospective earnings of the issuer and the value of its assets or factors unrelated to the issuer’s value, such as investor perception.

Non-US Securities Risk. The Portfolio’s performance will be influenced by political, social and economic factors affecting the non-US countries and companies in which the Portfolio invests. Non-US securities carry special risks, such as less developed or less efficient trading markets, political instability, a lack of company information, differing auditing and legal standards, and, potentially, less liquidity.

Emerging Market Risk. Emerging market countries can generally have economic structures that are less diverse and mature, and political systems that are less stable, than those of developed countries. The economies of countries with emerging markets may be based predominantly on only a few industries, may be highly vulnerable to changes in local or global trade conditions, and may suffer from extreme debt burdens or volatile inflation rates. The securities markets of emerging market countries have historically been extremely volatile. These market conditions may continue or worsen. Significant devaluation of emerging market currencies against the US dollar may occur subsequent to acquisition of investments denominated in emerging market currencies.

Foreign Currency Risk. Investments denominated in currencies other than US dollars may experience a decline in value, in US dollar terms, due solely to fluctuations in currency exchange rates. The

2Summary Prospectus


 

Portfolio’s investments could be adversely affected by delays in, or a refusal to grant, repatriation of funds or conversion of emerging market currencies. The Investment Manager does not intend to actively hedge the Portfolio’s foreign currency exposure.

Small and Mid Cap Companies Risk. Small and mid cap companies carry additional risks because their earnings tend to be less predictable, their share prices more volatile and their securities less liquid than larger, more established companies. The shares of small and mid cap companies tend to trade less frequently than those of larger companies, which can have an adverse effect on the pricing of these securities and on the ability to sell these securities when the Investment Manager deems it appropriate.

Large Cap Companies Risk. Investments in large cap companies may underperform other segments of the market when such other segments are in favor or because such companies may be less responsive to competitive challenges and opportunities and may be unable to attain high growth rates during periods of economic expansion.

Growth Investing Risk. The Portfolio invests in stocks believed by the Investment Manager to have the potential for growth, but that may not realize such perceived potential for extended periods of time or may never realize such perceived growth potential. Such stocks may be more volatile than other stocks because they can be more sensitive to investor perceptions of the issuing company’s growth potential. The stocks in which the Portfolio invests may respond differently to market and other developments than other types of stocks.

Securities Selection Risk. Securities and other investments selected by the Investment Manager for the Portfolio may not perform to expectations. This could result in the Portfolio’s underperformance compared to other funds with similar investment objectives or strategies.

Performance Bar Chart and Table
Year-by-Year Total Returns for Institutional Shares

As of 12/31

The accompanying bar chart and table provide some indication of the risks of investing in Lazard Developing Markets Equity Portfolio by showing the Portfolio’s year-by-year performance and its average annual performance compared to that of a broad measure of market performance. The bar chart shows how the performance of the Portfolio’s Institutional Shares varied from year to year. Updated performance information is available at www.LazardNet.com or by calling (800) 823-6300. The Portfolio’s past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the Portfolio will perform in the future.

 

 

 

 

Best Quarter:
6/30/09  56.64%
 
Worst Quarter:
12/31/08  -34.54%

Summary Prospectus3


 

Average Annual Total Returns
(for the periods ended December 31, 2016)

After-tax returns are shown only for Institutional Shares. After-tax returns of the Portfolio’s other share classes will vary. After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on the investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. The after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their shares through tax-deferred arrangements such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Inception
Date

 

1 Year

 

5 Years

 

Life of
Portfolio

 

Institutional Shares:

 

9/30/08

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Returns Before Taxes

 

 

 

14.81%

 

0.22%

 

3.33%

 

Returns After Taxes on Distributions

 

 

 

14.76%

 

0.14%

 

2.59%

 

Returns After Taxes on Distributions and
Sale of Portfolio Shares

 

 

 

8.80%

 

0.33%

 

2.64%

 

Open Shares (Returns Before Taxes)

 

9/30/08

 

14.31%

 

–0.12%

 

3.01%

 

MSCI Emerging Markets Index
(reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)

     

11.19%

 

1.28%

 

3.57%

 

4Summary Prospectus


 

Management

Investment Manager

Lazard Asset Management LLC

Portfolio Managers/Analysts

Kevin O’Hare, portfolio manager/analyst on the Investment Manager’s Developing Markets Equity team, has been with the Portfolio since September 2008.

Peter Gillespie, portfolio manager/analyst on the Investment Manager’s Developing Markets Equity team, has been with the Portfolio since September 2008.

James M. Donald, portfolio manager/analyst on the Investment Manager’s Emerging Markets Equity team, has been with the Portfolio since September 2008.

John R. Reinsberg, portfolio manager/analyst on the Investment Manager’s Global Equity and International Equity teams, has been with the Portfolio since September 2008.

Purchase and Sale of Portfolio Shares

The initial investment minimums are:

 

 

 

Institutional Shares*

 

 

$

 

100,000

 

 

Open Shares*

 

 

$

 

2,500

 

 

 

*

  Unless the investor is a client of a securities dealer or other institution which has made an aggregate minimum initial purchase for its clients of at least $100,000 for Institutional Shares or $2,500 for Open Shares.

The subsequent investment minimum is $50 for Institutional Shares and Open Shares.

Portfolio shares are redeemable through the Fund’s transfer agent, Boston Financial Data Services, Inc., on any business day by telephone, mail or overnight delivery. Clients of financial intermediaries may be subject to the intermediaries’ procedures.

Tax Information

All dividends and short-term capital gains distributions are generally taxable to you as ordinary income, and long-term capital gains are generally taxable as such, whether you receive the distribution in cash or reinvest it in additional shares.

Financial Intermediary Compensation
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

If you purchase shares of the Portfolio through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Portfolio and/or the Investment Manager and its affiliates may pay the intermediary for the sale of Portfolio shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Portfolio over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

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Lazard Asset Management LLC 30 Rockefeller Plaza New York, NY 10112 www.lazardnet.com