M&G PLC Lowers Stock Position in Ares Management Corporation $ARES

M&G PLC decreased its position in Ares Management Corporation (NYSE:ARES) by 12.3% in the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 1,072,413 shares of the asset manager’s stock after selling 150,739 shares during the period. M&G PLC’s holdings in Ares Management were worth $171,586,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also modified their holdings of ARES. Nemes Rush Group LLC grew its position in shares of Ares Management by 3.1% during the 2nd quarter. Nemes Rush Group LLC now owns 1,745 shares of the asset manager’s stock valued at $302,000 after acquiring an additional 52 shares during the period. New York Life Investment Management LLC boosted its position in Ares Management by 2.0% during the second quarter. New York Life Investment Management LLC now owns 3,083 shares of the asset manager’s stock worth $534,000 after purchasing an additional 59 shares in the last quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. grew its holdings in Ares Management by 10.3% in the second quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. now owns 630 shares of the asset manager’s stock valued at $109,000 after purchasing an additional 59 shares during the period. Kingsview Wealth Management LLC increased its position in shares of Ares Management by 4.0% in the second quarter. Kingsview Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,625 shares of the asset manager’s stock valued at $281,000 after buying an additional 63 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Secure Asset Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Ares Management by 0.8% during the 3rd quarter. Secure Asset Management LLC now owns 8,329 shares of the asset manager’s stock worth $1,284,000 after buying an additional 70 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 50.03% of the company’s stock.

Ares Management Stock Up 0.0%

ARES stock opened at $133.98 on Monday. The company has a current ratio of 0.22, a quick ratio of 0.22 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $160.37 and a two-hundred day moving average of $163.34. Ares Management Corporation has a 12 month low of $110.63 and a 12 month high of $195.26. The company has a market cap of $43.79 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 79.28, a PEG ratio of 0.81 and a beta of 1.52.

Ares Management (NYSE:ARES) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, February 5th. The asset manager reported $1.45 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.71 by ($0.26). Ares Management had a return on equity of 19.26% and a net margin of 9.41%.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 prior year, the firm earned $0.55 earnings per share. As a group, analysts forecast that Ares Management Corporation will post 5.28 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Ares Management Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, March 17th will be issued a $1.35 dividend. This represents a $5.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.0%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, March 17th. This is an increase from Ares Management’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.84. Ares Management’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 265.09%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

ARES has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. The Goldman Sachs Group cut their price target on shares of Ares Management from $189.00 to $165.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Friday, February 6th. Morgan Stanley set a $178.00 target price on shares of Ares Management in a research note on Tuesday, January 27th. Wolfe Research set a $210.00 price target on shares of Ares Management and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th. Oppenheimer lowered their price objective on Ares Management from $224.00 to $215.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, February 6th. Finally, UBS Group reduced their target price on Ares Management from $201.00 to $198.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, January 13th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have given a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $185.13.

Insider Buying and Selling at Ares Management

In related 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 directly owned 290,997 shares in the company, valued at approximately $44,449,791.75. This trade represents a 39.02% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Ashish Bhutani purchased 10,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 6th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $126.61 per share, with a total value of $1,266,100.00. Following the acquisition, 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. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 590,000 shares of company stock worth $90,653,808. Insiders own 0.52% of the company’s stock.

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.