Lazard Brings Decades of Emerging Markets Leadership to the ETF Market with EMKT

Actively managed ETF offers investors high-conviction access to the growth, innovation, and opportunity shaping the world’s fastest-growing economies.

NEW YORK, October 27, 2025 – Lazard Asset Management (“LAM”) today announced the successful conversion of the Lazard Emerging Markets Core Equity Portfolio into the Lazard Emerging Markets Opportunities Fund ETF (NYSE: EMKT). The actively managed ETF offers investors streamlined access to Lazard’s long-standing leadership in emerging markets investing through a high-conviction portfolio.

For more than 30 years, Lazard has been at the forefront of identifying and investing in the companies, sectors, and countries driving growth across emerging markets. EMKT builds on that legacy seeking to capture the structural trends shaping these economies while actively managing risk.

“Lazard has been investing in emerging markets for over three decades,” said Rob Forsyth, Global Head of ETFs at Lazard. “We’ve seen the cycles, navigated the complexities, and built a deep understanding of what drives sustainable growth in these economies. EMKT is the next step in our leadership in this space, bringing our proven active management approach to the ETF market. We believe this is a pivotal moment for emerging markets, and EMKT is designed to help investors capture the opportunities ahead.”

Emerging markets are a major driver of global economic growth, led by dynamic economies such as China and India, and often outpace developed markets thanks to industrialization, urbanization, and policy reforms. Rapid demographic shifts, including the expansion of the middle class, are reshaping global consumption patterns and creating powerful tailwinds for companies positioned to serve these populations. Attractive valuations further strengthen the case, with emerging markets equities historically tending to outperform during periods of U.S. dollar weakness. 

“Emerging markets are at a pivotal moment,” said Rohit Chopra, Portfolio Manager for EMKT. “Economic growth is accelerating, demographics are shifting, and valuations are compelling. We believe these markets can help investors build more balanced portfolios, with the potential for both growth and diversification. With urbanization, rising incomes, and expanding middle classes driving demand, we see a long runway for opportunity — and now is an excellent time for investors to take a fresh look at these markets.”

EMKT seeks to identify companies with strong financial productivity and long-term growth potential that are attractively priced relative to their fundamentals. The portfolio also selectively invests in mispriced and tactical opportunities to help build a balanced exposure to emerging markets.

Lazard’s investment team combines localized expertise with a multi-faceted, forward-looking perspective, leveraging on-the-ground company insights and investment research, and global collaboration to navigate the unique development phases of each market. The result is a portfolio designed to capture growth opportunities across emerging markets while actively managing risk.

Lazard Asset Management, a subsidiary of Lazard, Inc. (NYSE: LAZ), offers a range of equity, fixed income, and alternative investment products worldwide. As of September 30, 2025, Lazard’s asset management businesses managed approximately $265 billion of client assets. For more information about LAM, please visit www.LazardAssetManagement.com.