Barclays Lowers Ares Management (NYSE:ARES) Price Target to $127.00

Ares Management (NYSE:ARES) had its price target cut by stock analysts at Barclays from $138.00 to $127.00 in a research note issued on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has an “overweight” rating on the asset manager’s stock. Barclays‘s price objective would indicate a potential upside of 21.14% from the stock’s previous close.

Several other equities research analysts also recently issued reports on ARES. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded Ares Management from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and dropped their price objective for the stock from $182.00 to $155.00 in a report on Friday, February 6th. TD Cowen restated a “buy” rating on shares of Ares Management in a report on Wednesday, January 14th. Wolfe Research set a $210.00 price objective on Ares Management and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 7th. UBS Group set a $148.00 price objective on Ares Management in a report on Friday, February 20th. Finally, Raymond James Financial upgraded Ares Management from a “market perform” rating to a “strong-buy” rating and set a $157.00 price objective on the stock in a report on Monday, February 9th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have given a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $173.27.

Ares Management Stock Performance

Ares Management stock opened at $104.84 on Wednesday. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $116.36 and its 200 day moving average price is $144.15. The firm has a market capitalization of $34.54 billion, a PE ratio of 62.03, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.88 and a beta of 1.52. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.86, a quick ratio of 1.22 and a current ratio of 1.22. Ares Management has a one year low of $95.80 and a one year high of $195.26.

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

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director Judy D. Olian purchased 480 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 20th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $124.43 per share, for a total transaction of $59,726.40. Following the acquisition, the director owned 29,734 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,699,801.62. The trade was a 1.64% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Ashish Bhutani purchased 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 6th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $126.61 per share, with a total value of $1,266,100.00. Following the completion of 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 position. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. 36.86% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Ares Management

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in ARES. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC increased its holdings in shares of Ares Management by 100.0% in the 3rd quarter. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC now owns 190 shares of the asset manager’s stock valued at $30,000 after acquiring an additional 95 shares during the last quarter. Osbon Capital Management LLC bought a new position in Ares Management during the 4th quarter worth $32,000. Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in Ares Management during the 3rd quarter worth $40,000. Atlantic Edge Private Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Ares Management during the 4th quarter worth $42,000. Finally, Elyxium Wealth LLC bought a new position in Ares Management during the 4th quarter worth $42,000. 50.03% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Key Headlines Impacting Ares Management

Here are the key news stories impacting Ares Management this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Ares agreed to buy Whitestone REIT for about $1.7 billion in an all‑cash deal ($19/share) — expands Ares’ retail REIT exposure, adds fee‑earning and private capital deployment opportunities and signals dealmaking momentum. Ares Management to Buy Whitestone REIT in $1.7 Billion Deal
• Positive Sentiment: Ares raised $5.4 billion for a U.S./Europe value‑add real estate vehicle — demonstrates strong fundraising/investor appetite and should support future fee‑related earnings and AUM growth. Ares Eyes Rebound in U.S. and Europe Value‑Add Real Estate, Raises $5.4 Billion
• Positive Sentiment: Senior hire: E.G. Morse (ex‑Goldman China co‑head) joins as Head of Asia Credit, with new co‑heads for Asia special situations — strengthens Ares’ Asian credit/special situations platform and deal sourcing. E.G. Morse to Join Ares as Head of Asia Credit
• Positive Sentiment: Options flow shows elevated call buying interest, signaling short‑term bullish positioning from some traders. Traders Purchase High Volume of Call Options on Ares Management
• Neutral Sentiment: Barclays trimmed its price target from $138 to $127 but kept an overweight rating — reduces upside versus prior expectations but retains constructive view on the name. Barclays Lowers Price Target
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage pieces question whether the share price slide warrants repositioning — useful context for investors reassessing valuation and risk given ARES’ wide 52‑week range. Is It Time To Rethink Ares Management After This Year’s Share Price Slide
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks downgraded Ares to a “strong sell,” which could pressure sentiment among retail/quant flows that follow Zacks signals. Zacks Downgrades Ares Management to Strong Sell
• Negative Sentiment: A media item flagged a pessimistic forecast from Goldman Sachs (contrasting with other reports that show Goldman maintaining a buy) — adds to mixed analyst signals and market uncertainty. Goldman Sachs Issues Pessimistic Forecast for Ares

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.