Ares Management Corporation (ARES) Up 6.5% — Do I Grab Shares at These Levels?
Ares Management Corporation (ARES) extended its recent advance with a strong session, finishing at $174.95 on the NYSE, up 6.51% from the prior close of $164.26. That move represents the stock gaining $10.69 in a single day, signaling firm bullish activity and strong performance. Trading volume reached 1,524,261 shares, modestly below its 90-day average of 1,763,008, suggesting the latest price surge came without an unusually heavy spike in trading activity. Even so, the size of the percentage move underscores solid upward momentum in the share price.
At its current level, ARES is trading about 12.7% below its 52-week high of $200.49 set on Feb. 4, 2025, leaving room for further gains if the uptrend continues. The stock’s recent strength stands out relative to several large Financials sector peers, with ARES advancing sharply while names such as Berkshire Hathaway’s B shares (BRKB), Visa (V), and Mastercard (MA) have posted weekly retreats. JPMorgan Chase (JPM) has delivered a positive weekly return, but its 0.86% gain over that period trails the robust single-day move seen in ARES. Overall, the price action reflects a stock that is gaining ground and showing resilient upside momentum within the broader financial space.
Why Ares Management Corporation Price is Moving Higher
Recent company-specific developments are helping fuel upbeat sentiment toward Ares Management Corporation. The launch of Marq, a unified global logistics platform within its real estate business, showcases Ares’ push to deepen its capabilities in a high-demand niche of the commercial property market. Investors often reward alternative asset managers that can scale specialized, higher-margin strategies, and Marq positions Ares to capture growing institutional demand for logistics and warehouse exposure worldwide. At the same time, its scheduled appearance at the 2025 Goldman Sachs Financial Services Conference is drawing attention to Ares’ broader alternative investments platform, giving management a high-profile stage to reinforce its growth story and capital-raising potential.
Underneath these headlines, Ares’ fundamentals provide additional support for the recent strength in the share price. The company’s revenue growth of 46.73% signals robust expansion in management and performance fees, a key driver of long-term earnings power for alternative managers. A 12.14% profit margin underscores that this growth is translating into bottom-line results, bolstering confidence that Ares can continue to scale efficiently. Against a backdrop where large financial peers like Berkshire Hathaway, JPMorgan, Visa, and Mastercard have posted mixed short-term returns, Ares’ combination of strong top-line momentum and strategic initiatives in logistics real estate and alternative assets stands out. This mix of favorable business developments and solid growth metrics is contributing to the current bullish tone and helping keep buying interest in ARES elevated.
What is the Ares Management Corporation Rating - Should I Buy?
Weiss Ratings assigns ARES a C rating. Current recommendation is Hold. This places Ares Management Corporation in the middle of the pack from a risk/reward standpoint, but several underlying strengths give the stock constructive long-term potential for investors who can tolerate some uneven performance.
On the positive side, Ares earns an Excellent Growth Index, backed by a powerful 46.73% revenue growth rate. That expansion is being converted into profits, with a profit margin of 12.14% and a Good Efficiency Index, supported by a solid 17.09% return on equity. Its Excellent Solvency Index indicates a strong financial foundation to support ongoing growth initiatives and manage through market cycles.
Income-oriented investors may also find Ares appealing. The Good Dividend Index signals a shareholder-friendly payout profile that complements the company’s growth characteristics. However, the stock’s forward P/E ratio of 69.28 shows investors are already paying a premium for that growth, which increases sensitivity to any slowdown in fundamentals or shifts in sentiment.
The main factor holding ARES at a C rather than a higher rating is its Weak Total Return Index and only Fair Volatility Index, showing that actual stock performance has trailed its fundamental progress on a risk-adjusted basis. Compared to sector peers like Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (BRKB, B) and JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM, B), Ares carries more pricing risk for its level of historical return. For investors, ARES currently fits best as a selectively sized position within a diversified financials allocation, rather than a core holding.
About Ares Management Corporation
Ares Management Corporation (ARES) is a global alternative investment manager operating across credit, private equity, real assets, and secondaries. Headquartered in Los Angeles, the firm serves institutional and individual clients by originating, structuring, and managing investments designed to provide differentiated sources of return and portfolio diversification. Within credit, Ares is recognized as a leading direct lender and manager of liquid and illiquid credit strategies, including corporate direct lending, syndicated loans, and structured credit solutions. Its private equity platform focuses on value-oriented investments in companies where Ares can partner with management teams to drive operational and strategic improvements. In real assets, Ares invests in infrastructure and real estate strategies, emphasizing long-term, asset-backed cash flows.
Ares’ multi-asset-class platform is supported by a global footprint and a collaborative, fully integrated investment approach. The firm leverages extensive sector expertise, deep sourcing networks, and disciplined risk management to identify opportunities across market cycles. Its scale and reputation in alternative investments provide access to a broad opportunity set, helping clients address income, growth, and capital preservation objectives through specialized financial solutions. By combining origination capabilities with active portfolio management, Ares seeks to offer tailored financing and investment structures that meet the evolving needs of borrowers, financial sponsors, and investors worldwide.
Investor Outlook
With a C Weiss Rating, Ares Management Corporation appears positioned for potential, but still balanced, risk and reward as investors watch whether recent momentum can sustain through upcoming macro and sector developments. Monitoring how its fundamentals and price action evolve relative to other financials will be key to any potential rating change or shift in risk profile. See full rankings of all C-rated Financials stocks inside the Weiss Stock Screener.
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