Ares Management (NYSE:ARES) PT Lowered to $127.00 at Jefferies Financial Group

Ares Management (NYSE:ARES - Free Report) had its price objective lowered by Jefferies Financial Group from $131.00 to $127.00 in a research report released on Thursday, Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a hold rating on the asset manager's stock.

Other equities analysts have also issued reports about the company. Morgan Stanley upped their target price on Ares Management from $109.00 to $118.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 24th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on Ares Management from $112.00 to $126.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research note on Friday, February 9th. Royal Bank of Canada upped their target price on Ares Management from $135.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research note on Monday, February 12th. UBS Group upped their target price on Ares Management from $156.00 to $160.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Friday, April 12th. Finally, JMP Securities restated a market perform rating on shares of Ares Management in a research note on Tuesday, April 9th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $128.46.

Ares Management Price Performance

ARES traded up $3.71 during trading on Thursday, reaching $142.38. 1,467,834 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,044,335. The company's 50-day moving average is $133.67 and its two-hundred day moving average is $122.46. The company has a market cap of $44.08 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 63.85, a P/E/G ratio of 1.00 and a beta of 1.17. The company has a quick ratio of 1.02, a current ratio of 1.02 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. Ares Management has a 12-month low of $80.07 and a 12-month high of $143.13.

Ares Management (NYSE:ARES - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 2nd. The asset manager reported $0.80 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.93 by ($0.13). The company had revenue of $707.36 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $814.88 million. Ares Management had a return on equity of 21.63% and a net margin of 12.86%. During the same period last year, the company posted $0.71 EPS. Research analysts forecast that Ares Management will post 4.47 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Ares Management Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 28th. Investors of record on Friday, June 14th will be issued a dividend of $0.93 per share. This represents a $3.72 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.61%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, June 13th. Ares Management's dividend payout ratio is presently 166.82%.

Insider Activity at Ares Management

In related news, insider R. Kipp Deveer sold 82,796 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $136.47, for a total transaction of $11,299,170.12. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 1,245,729 shares in the company, valued at approximately $170,004,636.63. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. In other Ares Management news, CEO Michael J. Arougheti sold 74,585 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $132.97, for a total value of $9,917,567.45. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 1,375,000 shares in the company, valued at approximately $182,833,750. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, insider R. Kipp Deveer sold 82,796 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $136.47, for a total value of $11,299,170.12. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 1,245,729 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $170,004,636.63. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 1,494,440 shares of company stock worth $199,049,946 in the last ninety days. 41.89% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Ares Management

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Hollencrest Capital Management purchased a new stake in Ares Management in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $27,000. Compass Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Ares Management in the 1st quarter worth approximately $28,000. Rise Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Ares Management by 73.9% in the 4th quarter. Rise Advisors LLC now owns 240 shares of the asset manager's stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 102 shares during the period. Riverview Trust Co purchased a new position in shares of Ares Management in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Finally, Hartford Financial Management Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Ares Management by 47.4% in the 4th quarter. Hartford Financial Management Inc. now owns 280 shares of the asset manager's stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 90 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 50.03% of the company's stock.

Ares Management Company Profile

Ares Management Corporation operates as an alternative asset manager in the United States, Europe, and Asia. The company's Tradable Credit Group segment manages various types of investment funds, such as commingled and separately managed accounts for institutional investors, and publicly traded vehicles and sub-advised funds for retail investors in the tradable and non-investment grade corporate credit markets.