Can the AI Story Be Written Without EM?

Notes

1. Delphos, AI Infrastructure in Emerging Markets: $750B Investment Shift, 29 September 2025.

Important Information
Published on 14 April 2026

Information and opinions presented have been obtained or derived from sources believed by Lazard Asset Management LLC or its affiliates (“Lazard”) to be reliable. Lazard makes no representation as to their accuracy or completeness. All opinions expressed herein are as of the published date and are subject to change.

The performance quoted represents past performance. Past performance does not guarantee future results.

An investment in bonds carries risk. If interest rates rise, bond prices usually decline. The longer a bond’s maturity, the greater the impact a change in interest rates can have on its price. If you do not hold a bond until maturity, you may experience a gain or loss when you sell. Bonds also carry the risk of default, which is the risk that the issuer is unable to make further income and principal payments. Other risks, including inflation risk, call risk, and pre-payment risk, also apply. Securities in certain non-domestic countries may be less liquid, more volatile, and less subject to governmental supervision than in one’s home market. The values of these securities may be affected by changes in currency rates, application of a country’s specific tax laws, changes in government administration, and economic and monetary policy. Derivatives transactions, including those entered into for hedging purposes, may reduce returns or increase volatility, perhaps substantially. Forward currency contracts, and other derivatives investments are subject to the risk of default by the counterparty, can be illiquid and are subject to many of the risks of, and can be highly sensitive to changes in the value of, the related currency or other reference asset. As such, a small investment could have a potentially large impact on performance. Use of derivatives transactions, even if entered into for hedging purposes, may cause losses greater than if an account had not engaged in such transactions.

Exposure to the commodities markets may subject the portfolio to greater volatility than other types of investments. The values of commodities and commodity-linked derivative instruments are affected by events that may have less impact on the values of equity and fixed income securities. Investments linked to the prices of commodities are considered speculative.

Equity securities will fluctuate in price; the value of your investment will thus fluctuate, and this may result in a loss. Securities in nondomestic countries may be less liquid, more volatile, and less subject to governmental supervision than in one's home market. The values of these securities may be affected by changes in currency rates, application of a country's specific tax laws, changes in government administration, and economic and monetary policy. Emerging markets securities carry special risks, including less efficient trading markets, a lack of company information, and differing auditing and legal standards. The values of securities in emerging markets countries can be extremely volatile; performance can also be influenced by political, social, and economic factors affecting companies in emerging markets countries.

The MSCI Emerging Markets Index is a free-float-adjusted market capitalization index that is designed to measure equity market performance in the global emerging markets. The MSCI Emerging Markets Index consists of emerging markets in Brazil, Chile, China, Colombia, Czech Republic, Egypt, Greece, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, and United Arab Emirates. The index is unmanaged and has no fees. One cannot invest directly in an index.

The MSCI China Index is constructed based on the integrated China equity universe included in the MSCI Emerging Markets Index, providing a standardized definition of the China equity opportunity set. The index aims to represent the performance of large and mid cap segments with H shares, B shares, red chips, P chips and foreign listings (e.g., ADRs) of Chinese stocks. The index is unmanaged and has no fees. One cannot invest directly in an index.

Mention of these securities should not be considered a recommendation or solicitation to purchase or sell the securities. It should not be assumed that any investment in these securities was, or will prove to be, profitable, or that the investment decisions we make in the future will be profitable or equal to the investment performance of securities referenced herein. There is no assurance that any securities referenced herein are currently held in the portfolio or that securities sold have not been repurchased. The securities mentioned may not represent the entire portfolio.

Certain information contained herein constitutes “forward-looking statements” which can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “target,” “intent,” “continue,” or “believe,” or the negatives thereof or other variations thereon or comparable terminology. Due to various risks and uncertainties, actual events may differ materially from those reflected or contemplated in such forward-looking statements.

This document is intended only for persons residing in jurisdictions where its distribution or availability is consistent with local laws and Lazard’s local regulatory authorizations. The Lazard entities that have issued this document are listed below, along with important limitations on their authorized activities.

This document reflects the views of Lazard Asset Management LLC or its affiliates (“Lazard”) based upon information believed to be reliable as of the publication date. There is no guarantee that any forecast or opinion will be realized. This document is provided by Lazard Asset Management LLC or its affiliates (“Lazard”) for informational purposes only. Nothing herein constitutes investment advice or a recommendation relating to any security, commodity, derivative, investment management service, or investment product. Investments in securities, derivatives, and commodities involve risk, will fluctuate in price, and may result in losses. Certain assets held in Lazard’s investment portfolios, in particular alternative investment portfolios, can involve high degrees of risk and volatility when compared to other assets. Similarly, certain assets held in Lazard’s investment portfolios may trade in less liquid or efficient markets, which can affect investment performance. Past performance does not guarantee future results. The views expressed herein are subject to change, and may differ from the views of other Lazard investment professionals. 

This document is intended only for persons residing in jurisdictions where its distribution or availability is consistent with local laws and Lazard’s local regulatory authorizations. Please visit www.lazardassetmanagement.com/global-disclosure for the specific Lazard entities that have issued this document and the scope of their authorized activities.