Lazard Global Total Return and Income Fund, Inc. (LGI)

Overview

Lazard Global Total Return and Income Fund, Inc. is a closed-ended balanced mutual fund that was launched and is managed by Lazard Asset Management LLC. This fund strategically invests in both public equity and fixed income markets on a global scale. Specifically, it focuses on equities of companies that boast a market capitalization exceeding $5 billion. In addition to equity investments, the fund allocates resources to fixed income by utilizing short duration market forward currency contracts along with various market debt instruments.

The investment philosophy employed by the fund is rooted in fundamental analysis, adopting a bottom-up stock picking strategy. This approach integrates Lazard's global equity strategy and emerging income strategy as it constructs its investment portfolio. Factors that the fund considers during security selection include the financial health of potential investments, cash flow stability, robust balance sheets, return sustainability, management quality, competitive positioning, responsiveness to economic and market conditions, sales and margin trends, brand reputation, geographic diversification, and overarching macroeconomic circumstances. The portfolio performance is benchmarked against the MSCI World Index. The fund was established on January 27, 2004, and is headquartered in the United States.

Products and Services

• Equity Investments

  The fund primarily invests in publicly traded stocks, focusing on companies with market capitalizations over $5 billion. Through its global equity strategy, executives actively choose individual securities based on thorough fundamental analysis.

• Fixed Income Investments

  The fund diversifies its portfolio through fixed income investments, which include short duration market forward currency contracts and a variety of debt instruments. This aspect of the fund aims to stabilize returns and manage risk effectively.

• Fundamental Analysis

  Adopting a bottom-up approach, the fund's management conducts comprehensive fundamental analysis to identify and select stocks. This meticulous process is aimed at uncovering undervalued securities that meet stringent financial criteria and growth potential.

• Global Equity Strategy

  Utilizing a global perspective, the fund invests in equity markets around the world, seeking out opportunities across various geographical regions and sectors to create a well-rounded portfolio.

• Emerging Income Strategy

  The fund's emerging income strategy focuses on identifying income-generating investments in growing markets, which can provide additional yield and favorable risk-adjusted returns.

• Performance Benchmarking

  The fund benchmarks its portfolio performance against the MSCI World Index, allowing for a comparative analysis of returns in the context of global equity market performance, thus providing insight into its effectiveness.