Ares Management (NYSE:ARES) Price Target Cut to $131.00 by Analysts at The Goldman Sachs Group

Ares Management (NYSE:ARES) had its target price lowered by investment analysts at The Goldman Sachs Group from $165.00 to $131.00 in a report released on Tuesday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a “buy” rating on the asset manager’s stock. The Goldman Sachs Group’s target price indicates a potential upside of 27.99% from the company’s current price.

A number of other research firms also recently issued reports on ARES. UBS Group set a $148.00 price target on shares of Ares Management in a research report on Friday, February 20th. Morgan Stanley set a $178.00 price target on shares of Ares Management in a research report on Tuesday, January 27th. Raymond James Financial upgraded Ares Management from a “market perform” rating to a “strong-buy” rating and set a $157.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Monday, February 9th. Wall Street Zen downgraded Ares Management from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Saturday, February 28th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada cut their price objective on Ares Management from $180.00 to $173.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, February 24th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have given a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Ares Management presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $177.47.

Ares Management Price Performance

Shares of ARES stock traded down $0.48 during midday trading on Tuesday, reaching $102.35. 1,488,564 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 3,761,919. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $119.15 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $145.27. Ares Management has a 1-year low of $95.80 and a 1-year high of $195.26. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.86, a current ratio of 1.22 and a quick ratio of 1.22. The firm has a market cap of $33.72 billion, a PE ratio of 60.65, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.76 and a beta of 1.52.

Ares Management (NYSE:ARES) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 5th. The asset manager reported $1.45 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.71 by ($0.26). Ares Management had a net margin of 9.41% and a return on equity of 19.04%. The company had revenue of $1.50 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.38 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $0.55 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts expect that Ares Management will post 5.28 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Ares Management

In related news, Director Judy D. Olian acquired 480 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 20th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $124.43 per share, for a total transaction of $59,726.40. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 29,734 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,699,801.62. This trade represents a 1.64% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, Director Ashish Bhutani acquired 10,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 6th. The shares were bought at an average price of $126.61 per share, with a total value of $1,266,100.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 34,071 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,313,729.31. The trade was a 41.54% increase in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Insiders own 36.86% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Vulcan Value Partners LLC raised its holdings in Ares Management by 10.6% in the 3rd quarter. Vulcan Value Partners LLC now owns 1,350,249 shares of the asset manager’s stock valued at $215,785,000 after acquiring an additional 129,368 shares during the last quarter. CI Investments Inc. raised its holdings in Ares Management by 35,425.5% in the 3rd quarter. CI Investments Inc. now owns 221,679 shares of the asset manager’s stock valued at $35,444,000 after acquiring an additional 221,055 shares during the last quarter. Quilter Plc raised its holdings in Ares Management by 5.6% in the 4th quarter. Quilter Plc now owns 704,069 shares of the asset manager’s stock valued at $113,799,000 after acquiring an additional 37,366 shares during the last quarter. Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd acquired a new position in Ares Management in the 3rd quarter valued at $2,971,000. Finally, Hudson Bay Capital Management LP raised its holdings in Ares Management by 1,903.9% in the 3rd quarter. Hudson Bay Capital Management LP now owns 60,717 shares of the asset manager’s stock valued at $9,708,000 after acquiring an additional 57,687 shares during the last quarter. 50.03% of the stock is currently 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.