Ares Management's (ARES) 46.89% Volume Surge Ranks 402nd in Market Activity Amid Insider Sales and Mixed Analyst Ratings

On August 22, 2025, Ares Management (ARES) rose 1.58% with a trading volume of $0.27 billion, marking a 46.89% increase from the previous day and ranking 402nd in market activity. Institutional activity highlighted Prudential PLC’s 305.9% increase in holdings to 8,110 shares, valued at $1.19 million, while Banco BTG Pactual S.A. boosted its stake by 102.3% to 16,000 shares, totaling $2.35 million. Multiple institutional investors, including Resona Asset Management and Westpac Banking Corp, also expanded their positions during the first quarter.

Insider transactions revealed significant sales, with CEO Michael Arougheti offloading 150,000 shares at $166.37, reducing his ownership by 58.25%, and Chairman Bennett Rosenthal selling 85,000 shares at $168.79. These moves, alongside other insider disposals, raised questions about internal confidence amid the firm’s earnings report. Ares posted $1.03 earnings per share for the quarter, below the $1.15 analyst consensus, though revenue of $1.35 billion exceeded expectations. The company announced a $1.12 quarterly dividend, yielding 2.4%, despite a payout ratio of 258.96%.

Analyst sentiment remained mixed, with Barclays and Citigroup upgrading their price targets and ratings to “overweight” and “outperform,” respectively. However, Oppenheimer downgraded to “market perform,” reflecting divergent views on valuation. Institutional ownership stands at 50.03%, with hedge funds and other investors collectively holding a significant portion of the float. The stock’s 50-day and 200-day moving averages stood at $178.49 and $166.61, respectively, as of the latest reporting period.

The backtest of a strategy purchasing the top 500 stocks by daily trading volume and holding for one day from December 2022 to August 2025 generated a total profit of $2,253.88, with a maximum drawdown of -$1,025.71. The strategy’s Sharpe ratio of 1.79 indicates favorable risk-adjusted returns over the period.