Lazard Funds |
May 1, 2019 |
Before you invest, you may want to review the Portfolios Prospectus, which contains more information about the Portfolio and its risks. The Portfolios Prospectus and Statement of Additional Information (SAI), both dated May 1, 2019 (as revised or supplemented), are incorporated by reference into this Summary Prospectus. You can find the Portfolios Prospectus, SAI and other information about the Portfolio online at https://www.lazardassetmanagement.com/us/en_us/funds/list/mutual-funds/42. You can also get this information at no cost by calling (800) 823-6300 or by sending an e-mail request to Contact.US@Lazard.com.
Lazard Global Listed Infrastructure Portfolio | Institutional Shares | Open Shares | R6 Shares | ||
GLIFX | GLFOX | RLGLX |
Important Information on Paperless
Delivery
Beginning on January 1, 2021, as permitted by regulations adopted by the Securities
and Exchange Commission, paper copies of the Funds shareholder reports like this one will no longer
be sent by mail, unless you specifically request paper copies of the reports from the Fund or from your
financial intermediary, such as a broker-dealer or bank. Instead, the reports will be made available
on a website, and you will be notified by mail each time a report is posted and provided with a website
link to access the report.
If you already elected to receive shareholder reports electronically, you
will not be affected by this change and you need not take any action. Shareholders who hold accounts
directly with the Fund may elect to receive shareholder reports and other communications from the Fund
electronically by signing up for paperless delivery at www.icsdelivery.com/lazardassetmanagement. If
you own these shares through a financial intermediary, you may contact your financial intermediary.
You
may elect to receive all future reports in paper free of charge. You can inform the Fund that you wish
to continue receiving paper copies of your shareholder reports by following the instructions included
with this disclosure and visiting www.fundreports.com. If you own these shares through a financial intermediary,
you may contact your financial intermediary or follow instructions included with this disclosure to elect
to continue to receive paper copies of your shareholder reports. Your election to receive reports in
paper will apply to all funds held with the fund complex or your financial intermediary.
Investment Objective
The Portfolio seeks total return.
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 or R6 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 |
| R6 Shares |
|
Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) |
|
|
| ||||
Management Fees |
| .90% |
| .90% |
| .90% |
|
Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees |
| None |
| .25% |
| None |
|
Other Expenses |
| .05% |
| .05% |
| .05% | * |
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses |
| .01% |
| .01% |
| .01% | * |
Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses** |
| .96% |
| 1.21% |
| .96% |
|
* Based on estimated amounts for the current fiscal year, using amounts for Institutional Shares from the last fiscal year.
** Excluding Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses, the Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses are .95%, 1.20% and .95% of the Portfolios Institutional Shares, Open Shares and R6 Shares, respectively.
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 Portfolios 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 | $ 98 | $ 306 | $ 531 | $ 1,178 | |||
Open Shares | $ 123 | $ 384 | $ 665 | $ 1,466 | |||
R6 Shares | $ 98 | $ 306 | $ 531 | $ 1,178 | |||
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 Portfolios performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Portfolios portfolio turnover rate was 49% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
The Portfolio invests primarily in equity securities, principally common stocks, of infrastructure companies and concentrates its investments in industries represented by infrastructure companies. Lazard Asset Management LLC (the Investment Manager) focuses on companies with a minimum market capitalization of $250 million that own physical infrastructure and which the Investment Manager believes are undervalued.
Under normal circumstances, the Portfolio invests at least 80% of its assets in equity securities of infrastructure companies, which consist of utilities, pipelines, toll roads, airports, railroads, ports, telecommunications and other infrastructure companies, with securities listed on a national or other recognized securities exchange.
Under normal market conditions, the Portfolio invests significantly (at least 40%unless market conditions are not deemed favorable by the Investment Manager, in which case the Portfolio would invest at least 30%) in infrastructure companies organized or located outside the US or doing a substantial amount of business outside the US. The Investment Manager allocates the Portfolios assets among various regions and countries, including the United States (but in no less than three different countries). The Portfolio may invest in equity securities of companies with some business activities located in emerging market countries.
The Investment Manager generally seeks to substantially hedge foreign currency exposure in the Portfolio against movements relative to the US dollar by entering into foreign currency forward contracts, although the Portfolios total foreign currency exposure may not be fully hedged at all times.
Although the Portfolio is classified as diversified under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, it may invest in a smaller number of issuers than other, more diversified investment portfolios.
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 a market, can affect the value of the Portfolios 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 issuers 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 issuers value, such as investor perception.
Summary Prospectus
2
Infrastructure Companies Risk. Securities and instruments of infrastructure companies are more susceptible to adverse economic or regulatory occurrences affecting their industries. Infrastructure companies may be subject to a variety of factors that may adversely affect their business or operations, including high interest costs in connection with capital construction programs, high leverage, costs associated with environmental and other regulations, the effects of economic slowdown, surplus capacity, increased competition from other providers of services, uncertainties concerning the availability of fuel at reasonable prices, the effects of energy conservation policies and other factors. Infrastructure companies also may be affected by or subject to, among other factors, regulation by various government authorities, including rate regulation, and service interruption due to environmental, operational or other mishaps.
Non-US Securities Risk. The Portfolios 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 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.
Value Investing Risk. The Portfolio invests in securities believed by the Investment Manager to be undervalued, but that may not realize their perceived value for extended periods of time or may never realize their perceived value. The securities in which the Portfolio invests may respond differently to market and other developments than other types of securities.
Foreign Currency and Foreign Currency Hedging Risk. Irrespective of any foreign currency exposure hedging, the Portfolio may experience a decline in the value of its portfolio securities, in US dollar terms, due solely to fluctuations in currency exchange rates. The Investment Manager may not be able to accurately predict movements in exchange rates and there may be imperfect correlations between movements in exchange rates that could cause the Portfolio to incur significant losses. Currency investments could be adversely affected by delays in, or a refusal to grant, repatriation of funds or conversion of emerging market currencies.
Forward Currency Contracts Risk. Forward currency contracts may increase volatility or reduce returns, perhaps substantially, particularly since most derivatives have a leverage component that provides investment exposure in excess of the amount invested. Forward currency contracts are subject to the risk of default by the counterparty to the contracts and can be illiquid. These contracts are subject to many of the risks of, and can be highly sensitive to changes in the value of, the related currency. As such, a small investment could have a potentially large impact on the Portfolios performance. Derivatives transactions incur costs, either explicitly or implicitly, which reduce return. Successful use of derivatives is subject to the Investment Managers ability to predict correctly movements in the direction of the relevant reference asset or market. Use of forward currency contracts, even when entered into for hedging purposes, may cause the Portfolio to experience losses greater than if the Portfolio had not engaged in such transactions.
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.
Summary Prospectus
3
Focused Investing Risk. The Portfolios net asset value may be more vulnerable to changes in the market value of a single issuer or group of issuers and may be relatively more susceptible to adverse effects from any single corporate, industry, economic, market, political or regulatory occurrence than if the Portfolios investments consisted of securities issued by a larger number of issuers.
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 Portfolios 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 Global Listed Infrastructure Portfolio by showing the Portfolios year-by-year performance and its average annual performance compared to that of broad measures of market performance. The bar chart shows how the performance of the Portfolios Institutional Shares has varied from year to year. Updated performance information is available at www.lazardassetmanagement.com or by calling (800) 823-6300. The Portfolios past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the Portfolio will perform in the future.
Best Quarter: | |
Q3 10 | 12.17% |
|
|
Worst Quarter: | |
Q3 11 | -9.85% |
Average Annual Total Returns
(for the periods ended December 31, 2018)
After-tax returns are shown only for Institutional Shares. After-tax returns of the Portfolios 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 investors 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. Returns shown below for the Portfolios R6 Shares (which were not operational as of December 31, 2018) reflect the performance of the Portfolios Institutional Shares. R6 Shares would have had substantially similar returns as Institutional Shares because the share classes are invested in the same portfolio of securities, and the returns would differ only to the extent that the classes do not have the same expenses.
The Global Listed Infrastructure Index (USD Hedged) is an index created by the Portfolios Investment Manager, which is the performance of the UBS Global 50/50 Infrastructure & Utilities® Index (Hedged) for all periods through March 31, 2015, when the index ceased to be published, and the FTSE Developed Core Infrastructure 50/50® Index (Hedged) for all periods thereafter.
Summary Prospectus
4
| Inception
| 1 Year | 5 Years | Life of |
Institutional Shares: | 12/31/09 |
|
|
|
Returns Before Taxes |
| -3.73% | 10.38% | 11.05% |
Returns After Taxes on Distributions |
| -6.39% | 7.74% | 9.28% |
Returns After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Portfolio Shares |
| 0.15% | 7.72% | 8.81% |
Open Shares (Returns Before Taxes) | 12/31/09 | -3.98% | 10.09% | 10.72% |
R6 Shares (Returns Before Taxes) |
| -3.73% | 10.38% | 11.05% |
Global Listed Infrastructure Index (USD Hedged) |
| 2.56% | 9.38% | 9.04% |
(reflects no deduction for fees, expense or taxes) |
|
|
|
|
MSCI World Index |
| -8.71% | 4.56% | 7.61% |
(reflects no deduction for fees, expense or taxes) |
|
|
|
|
Management
Investment Manager
Lazard Asset Management LLC
Portfolio Managers/Analysts
Bertrand Cliquet, portfolio manager/analyst on the Investment Managers Global Listed Infrastructure and Global Equity Franchise teams, has been with the Portfolio since September 2017.
Matthew Landy, portfolio manager/analyst on the Investment Managers Global Listed Infrastructure and Global Equity Franchise teams, has been with the Portfolio since March 2016.
John Mulquiney, portfolio manager/analyst on the Investment Managers Global Listed Infrastructure and Global Equity Franchise teams, has been with the Portfolio since December 2009.
Warryn Robertson, portfolio manager/analyst on the Investment Managers Global Listed Infrastructure and Global Equity Franchise teams, has been with the Portfolio since December 2009.
Summary Prospectus
5
Purchase and Sale of Portfolio Shares
The initial investment minimums are:
Institutional Shares* | $ | 10,000** |
Open Shares* | $ | 2,500 |
R6 Shares | $ | 1,000,000 |
* 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 $10,000 for Institutional Shares ($100,000 until June 1, 2019) or $2,500 for Open Shares.
** $100,000 until June 1, 2019.
There is no minimum investment amount for Board members and other individuals considered to be affiliates of the Fund or the Investment Manager and their family members, discretionary accounts with the Investment Manager, affiliated and non-affiliated registered investment companies and, for R6 Shares only, certain types of employee benefit plans.
The subsequent investment minimum is $50 for Institutional Shares and Open Shares. There is no subsequent investment minimum for R6 Shares.
Open Shares investors investing directly with a Portfolio who meet the Institutional Shares minimum may request that their Open Shares be converted to Institutional Shares. Investors investing through a securities dealer or other institution should consult that firm regarding share class availability and applicable minimums.
Portfolio shares are redeemable through the Funds transfer agent, DST Asset Manager Solutions, 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 (Open and Institutional Shares only)
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase shares of a 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 intermediarys website for more information.
0073298 | |
Lazard Asset Management LLC 30 Rockefeller Plaza New York, NY 10112 www.lazardassetmanagement.com |
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