Ares Management Corporation (NYSE:ARES) Receives Consensus Rating of “Moderate Buy” from Brokerages

Shares of Ares Management Corporation (NYSE:ARES) have earned a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” from the eighteen ratings firms that are covering the company, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and thirteen have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1-year price objective among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $190.6429.

A number of research analysts have issued reports on the stock. Oppenheimer set a $190.00 price target on shares of Ares Management and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 4th. Cowen reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Ares Management in a research note on Tuesday, November 4th. Citigroup restated a “market outperform” rating on shares of Ares Management in a research note on Tuesday, October 21st. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Ares Management in a report on Monday, December 15th. Finally, UBS Group initiated coverage on shares of Ares Management in a research note on Thursday, December 11th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $201.00 price objective for the company.

Ares Management Stock Up 0.2%

Shares of ARES stock traded up $0.38 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, hitting $169.12. 55,049 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,988,456. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $156.13 and its two-hundred day moving average is $168.29. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62, a current ratio of 0.22 and a quick ratio of 0.22. Ares Management has a 52-week low of $110.63 and a 52-week high of $200.49. The stock has a market cap of $55.28 billion, a P/E ratio of 72.62, a P/E/G ratio of 1.31 and a beta of 1.53.

Ares Management (NYSE:ARES) last posted its earnings results on Friday, October 31st. The asset manager reported $1.19 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.14 by $0.05. The company had revenue of $1.66 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.03 billion. Ares Management had a net margin of 11.72% and a return on equity of 16.33%. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $0.55 earnings per share. Equities analysts predict that Ares Management will post 5.28 EPS for the current year.

Ares Management Cuts Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, December 31st. Investors of record on Wednesday, December 17th will be given a dividend of $0.8438 per share. This represents a $3.38 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.0%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, December 17th. Ares Management’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 192.27%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Ares Management

In other news, CEO Michael J. Arougheti sold 186,197 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $152.75, for a total transaction of $28,441,591.75. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 290,997 shares in the company, valued at $44,449,791.75. This trade represents a 39.02% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Insiders have sold a total of 590,000 shares of company stock valued at $90,653,808 in the last three months. Corporate insiders own 0.52% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in ARES. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC grew its holdings in shares of Ares Management by 100.0% during the 3rd quarter. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC now owns 190 shares of the asset manager’s stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 95 shares during the period. Elevation Point Wealth Partners LLC purchased a new stake in Ares Management in the second quarter valued at approximately $35,000. Ameritas Advisory Services LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Ares Management in the second quarter valued at $43,000. Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Ares Management in the third quarter valued at approximately $40,000. Finally, Banque Transatlantique SA purchased a new stake in Ares Management during the 1st quarter worth about $39,000. 50.03% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Ares Management

Ares Management Corporation (NYSE: ARES) is a global alternative asset manager that provides investment solutions across credit, private equity and real estate. The firm originates and manages capital across a range of strategies including direct lending, syndicated and special situations credit, private equity buyouts and growth investments, and real estate equity and debt. Ares serves institutional investors, insurance companies, pension funds, sovereign wealth funds, and high‑net‑worth clients through both commingled funds and bespoke managed account structures.

Within credit, Ares offers strategies spanning leveraged loans, structured credit, opportunistic and distressed debt, and specialty finance, with an emphasis on underwriting, portfolio construction and active asset management.