Ares Management Corporation (NYSE:ARES) Short Interest Update

Ares Management Corporation (NYSE:ARES) was the recipient of a significant increase in short interest in the month of December. As of December 15th, there was short interest totaling 10,331,299 shares, an increase of 67.8% from the November 30th total of 6,156,168 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 7,683,584 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 1.3 days. Approximately 3.2% of the shares of the company are sold short. Approximately 3.2% of the shares of the company are sold short. Based on an average daily volume of 7,683,584 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 1.3 days.

Ares Management Price Performance

Shares of NYSE ARES traded down $3.88 during midday trading on Tuesday, reaching $165.18. 457,603 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,978,136. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $158.04 and its 200-day moving average price is $168.26. The stock has a market cap of $53.99 billion, a P/E ratio of 70.89, a PEG ratio of 1.29 and a beta of 1.53. The company has a quick ratio of 0.22, a current ratio of 0.22 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62. Ares Management has a one year low of $110.63 and a one year high of $200.49.

Ares Management (NYSE:ARES) last announced its quarterly 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. Ares Management had a return on equity of 16.33% and a net margin of 11.72%.The firm had revenue of $1.66 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.03 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $0.55 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Ares Management will post 5.28 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Ares Management Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, December 31st. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, December 17th will be issued a dividend of $0.8438 per share. This represents a $3.38 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.0%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, December 17th. Ares Management’s payout ratio is 192.27%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts recently commented on the stock. Morgan Stanley lowered their price target on shares of Ares Management from $178.00 to $175.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, October 21st. Oppenheimer set a $190.00 price target on Ares Management and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 4th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their target price on Ares Management from $188.00 to $189.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 4th. UBS Group initiated coverage on Ares Management in a report on Thursday, December 11th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $201.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Ares Management in a research report on Monday, December 15th. Thirteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $190.64.

Insider Activity 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 shares were sold at an average price of $152.75, for a total transaction of $28,441,591.75. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 290,997 shares in the company, valued at approximately $44,449,791.75. This trade represents a 39.02% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Insiders have sold 590,000 shares of company stock valued at $90,653,808 in the last 90 days. 0.52% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Creative Planning raised its holdings in shares of Ares Management by 29.6% during the second quarter. Creative Planning now owns 34,036 shares of the asset manager’s stock valued at $5,895,000 after purchasing an additional 7,776 shares during the period. Wealth Alliance LLC boosted its holdings in Ares Management by 30.6% in the second quarter. Wealth Alliance LLC now owns 4,388 shares of the asset manager’s stock worth $760,000 after acquiring an additional 1,027 shares in the last quarter. Winslow Capital Management LLC bought a new position in Ares Management in the second quarter worth approximately $161,774,000. Burling Wealth Partners LLC grew its stake in Ares Management by 18.9% in the second quarter. Burling Wealth Partners LLC now owns 20,679 shares of the asset manager’s stock valued at $3,582,000 after acquiring an additional 3,288 shares during the period. Finally, Zevenbergen Capital Investments LLC increased its holdings in shares of Ares Management by 6.7% during the third quarter. Zevenbergen Capital Investments LLC now owns 159,898 shares of the asset manager’s stock valued at $25,566,000 after acquiring an additional 10,069 shares in the last quarter. 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.