Stephens Inc. AR Lowers Stock Holdings in Ares Management Corporation $ARES

Stephens Inc. AR trimmed its stake in Ares Management Corporation (NYSE:ARES) by 9.1% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 55,213 shares of the asset manager’s stock after selling 5,545 shares during the period. Stephens Inc. AR’s holdings in Ares Management were worth $8,924,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Ares Management in the 3rd quarter valued at about $40,000. Atlantic Edge Private Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Ares Management in the 4th quarter valued at about $42,000. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Ares Management in the 3rd quarter valued at about $50,000. First Horizon Corp bought a new stake in shares of Ares Management in the 3rd quarter valued at about $51,000. Finally, Covestor Ltd raised its holdings in shares of Ares Management by 182.6% in the 3rd quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 421 shares of the asset manager’s stock valued at $67,000 after purchasing an additional 272 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 50.03% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have recently commented on ARES. BMO Capital Markets reduced their price target on shares of Ares Management from $140.00 to $112.00 and set a “market perform” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, March 24th. The Goldman Sachs Group reduced their price target on shares of Ares Management from $165.00 to $131.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, April 7th. Morgan Stanley reduced their price target on shares of Ares Management from $178.00 to $163.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, April 21st. Oppenheimer restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $146.00 price target (down from $147.00) on shares of Ares Management in a report on Monday, May 4th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded shares of Ares Management from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and reduced their price target for the company from $182.00 to $155.00 in a report on Friday, February 6th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $166.06.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Judy D. Olian bought 480 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, February 20th. The shares were bought at an average price of $124.43 per share, with a total value of $59,726.40. Following the transaction, the director owned 29,734 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,699,801.62. This trade represents a 1.64% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 36.86% of the company’s stock.

Ares Management Trading Down 4.0%

NYSE ARES opened at $123.44 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.22, a current ratio of 0.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.96. The firm has a market cap of $40.72 billion, a PE ratio of 57.42, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.08 and a beta of 1.50. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $111.65 and a 200 day moving average price of $138.09. Ares Management Corporation has a 52 week low of $95.80 and a 52 week high of $195.26.

Ares Management (NYSE:ARES) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, May 1st. The asset manager reported $1.24 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.32 by ($0.08). The firm had revenue of $1.40 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.28 billion. Ares Management had a return on equity of 22.14% and a net margin of 10.54%.During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.09 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Ares Management Corporation will post 6.05 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Ares Management Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 30th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, June 16th will be given a dividend of $1.35 per share. This represents a $5.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, June 16th. Ares Management’s payout ratio is currently 251.16%.

Ares Management Profile

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.