Brokerages Set Ares Management Corporation (NYSE:ARES) Price Target at $192.14

Ares Management Corporation (NYSE:ARES) has been given a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by the eighteen analysts that are covering the stock, Marketbeat reports. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and thirteen have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 1-year price target among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $192.1429.

ARES has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Ares Management in a report on Monday, December 29th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their price target on Ares Management from $188.00 to $189.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 4th. Oppenheimer set a $190.00 price target on Ares Management and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 4th. UBS Group cut their price objective on Ares Management from $201.00 to $198.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday. Finally, BMO Capital Markets began coverage on shares of Ares Management in a research report on Friday, October 3rd. They set a “market perform” rating and a $156.00 target price for the company.

Ares Management Price Performance

Shares of Ares Management stock traded up $0.43 on Friday, reaching $170.00. 1,504,190 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,596,952. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62, a quick ratio of 0.22 and a current ratio of 0.22. The firm has a market cap of $55.57 billion, a PE ratio of 72.96, a P/E/G ratio of 0.98 and a beta of 1.53. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $163.30 and its 200-day moving average is $168.35. Ares Management has a one year low of $110.63 and a one year high of $200.49.

Ares Management (NYSE:ARES) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Friday, October 31st. The asset manager reported $1.19 EPS for the quarter, topping 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 return on equity of 16.33% and a net margin of 11.72%.During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.55 EPS. As a group, analysts anticipate that Ares Management will post 5.28 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Ares Management Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, December 31st. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, December 17th were paid a $0.8438 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, December 17th. This represents a $3.38 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.0%. Ares Management’s payout ratio is 192.27%.

Insider Transactions 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 value of $28,441,591.75. Following the completion of 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 sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Insiders have sold 590,000 shares of company stock worth $90,653,808 over the last 90 days. 36.86% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Ares Management

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC increased its stake in Ares Management by 100.0% during the 3rd quarter. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC now owns 190 shares of the asset manager’s stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 95 shares in the last quarter. Elevation Point Wealth Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of Ares Management during the second quarter valued at about $35,000. Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Ares Management during the third quarter valued at about $40,000. Ameritas Advisory Services LLC bought a new stake in shares of Ares Management during the second quarter worth about $43,000. Finally, Washington Trust Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Ares Management in the 3rd quarter worth about $50,000. 50.03% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Ares Management Company 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.