Ares Management (NYSE:ARES) Given New $131.00 Price Target at The Goldman Sachs Group

Ares Management (NYSE:ARES) had its price objective decreased by The Goldman Sachs Group from $165.00 to $131.00 in a research report sent to investors on Tuesday morning,Benzinga reports. The Goldman Sachs Group currently has a buy rating on the asset manager’s stock.

Several other equities research analysts also recently commented on ARES. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Ares Management in a report on Monday, December 29th. Morgan Stanley set a $178.00 target price on Ares Management in a report on Tuesday, January 27th. Raymond James Financial raised shares of Ares Management from a “market perform” rating to a “strong-buy” rating and set a $157.00 price target on the stock in a research note on Monday, February 9th. UBS Group set a $148.00 price target on shares of Ares Management in a research note on Friday, February 20th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada dropped their price target on shares of Ares Management from $180.00 to $173.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, February 24th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have issued a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $177.47.

Ares Management Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:ARES opened at $102.09 on Tuesday. The company has a market cap of $33.64 billion, a P/E ratio of 60.41, a PEG ratio of 0.76 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. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $118.20 and its 200 day simple moving average is $144.70.

Ares Management (NYSE:ARES) last announced its 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 analysts’ expectations of $1.38 billion. Ares Management had a net margin of 9.41% and a return on equity of 19.04%. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $0.55 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Ares Management will post 5.28 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Ares Management Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, March 17th were issued a dividend of $1.35 per share. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, March 17th. This represents a $5.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.3%. This is a boost from Ares Management’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.84. Ares Management’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 319.53%.

Insider Activity at Ares Management

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 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 stake in shares of Ares Management during the 4th quarter valued at about $32,000. Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Ares Management in the third quarter worth $40,000. Atlantic Edge Private Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Ares Management during the fourth quarter valued at $42,000. Finally, Elyxium Wealth LLC bought a new position in Ares Management in the 4th quarter worth about $42,000. 50.03% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.