4.	INVESTMENTS

The Company’s investments and securities sold, not yet purchased, consist of the following at September 30, 2016 and December 31, 2015:

	September 30, 2016		December 31, 2015
Interest-bearing deposits	$	474	$	54,885
Debt		-		535
Equities		42,656		44,834
Funds:
Alternative investments (a)		39,630		67,600
Debt (a)		75,545		67,134
Equity (a)		170,416		197,787
Private equity		126,726		100,219
		412,317		432,740
Equity method		7,311		8,917
Total investments		462,758		541,911
Less:
Interest-bearing deposits		474		54,885
Equity method		7,311		8,917
Investments, at fair value	$	454,973	$	478,109
Securities sold, not yet purchased, at fair value (included in “other liabilities”)	$	3,512	$	3,239

(a)

Interests in alternative investment funds, debt funds and equity funds include investments with fair values of $15,011, $38,071 and $129,530, respectively, at September 30, 2016 and $10,996, $31,598 and $156,081, respectively, at December 31, 2015, held in order to satisfy the Company’s liability upon vesting of previously granted Lazard Fund Interests (“LFI”) and other similar deferred compensation arrangements. LFI represent grants by the Company to eligible employees of actual or notional interests in a number of Lazard-managed funds, subject to service-based vesting conditions (see Notes 6 and 12).

Interest-bearing deposits have original maturities of greater than three months but equal to or less than one year and are carried at cost that approximates fair value due to their short-term maturities.

Equities primarily consist of seed investments invested in marketable equity securities of large-, mid- and small-cap domestic, international and global companies held within separately managed accounts related to our Asset Management business.

Alternative investment funds primarily consist of interests in various Lazard-managed hedge funds, funds of funds and mutual funds.

Debt funds primarily consist of seed investments in funds related to our Asset Management business that invest in debt securities, amounts related to LFI discussed above and an investment in a Lazard-managed debt fund.

Equity funds primarily consist of seed investments in funds related to our Asset Management business that invest in equity securities, and amounts related to LFI discussed above.

Private equity investments include those owned by Lazard and those consolidated but not owned by Lazard. Private equity investments owned by Lazard are primarily comprised of investments in private equity funds. Such investments primarily include (i) Edgewater Growth Capital Partners III, L.P. (“EGCP III”), a fund primarily making equity and buyout investments in middle market companies, (ii) until the fourth quarter of 2015, Lazard Australia Corporate Opportunities Fund 2 (“COF2”), an Australian fund targeting Australian mid-market investments, (iii) a mezzanine fund, which invests in mezzanine debt of a diversified selection of small- to mid-cap European companies, and (iv) a fund targeting significant noncontrolling-stake investments in established private companies. The Company disposed of its private equity business in Australia in the second quarter of 2015 in a transaction with the management of the disposed business. Revenue of $24,388 relating to the disposal of the business primarily represents the realization of carried interest at fair value and is included in “revenue-other” on the condensed consolidated statements of operations for the nine month period ended September 30, 2015.

Private equity investments consolidated but not owned by Lazard relate to the economic interests that are owned by the management team and other investors in the Edgewater Funds (“Edgewater”).

During the three month and nine month periods ended September 30, 2016 and 2015, the Company reported in “revenue-other” on its condensed consolidated statements of operations net unrealized investment gains and losses pertaining to “trading” securities still held as of the reporting date as follows:

Three Months Ended

September 30,

Nine Months Ended

September 30,

2016

2015

2016

2015

Net unrealized investment gains (losses)

9,047

(24,962

)

15,221

(26,077

)