Wells Fargo Initiates Coverage of Ares Management at Overweight
Fintel reports that on October 2, 2026, Wells Fargo initiated coverage of Ares Management (NYSE:ARES) (XTRA:0QN) with a Overweight recommendation.
Ares Management Corporation, based in the United States, operates as a global alternative investment manager. The company's business extends across a broad spectrum of investment strategies within the primary industries of private equity, credit, and real estate. Ares Management stands as a significant player particularly in the fields of leveraged buyouts, growth capital and distressed investments. Key projects frequently involve large-scale portfolio acquisitions and the restructuring of companies under financial distress. Over the years, Ares has established a robust reputation for effectively deploying capital in various financial markets, aiming to generate risk-adjusted returns for its investors through a disciplined investment approach and in-depth market research.
On October 2, 2026, the stock's latest close was $117.56, following a pre-action close of $116.57 on October 1, 2026. The stock has experienced a price change of -3.65% over one week, relative to a baseline close of $122.01 on September 25, 2026. Over a one-month period, the price change was -14.85% from a baseline close of $138.06 on September 2, 2026.
Prior to the rating action, consensus target price data as of September 15, 2026, showed a mean target of $151.03 and a median target of $149.94. This mean target represents an implied change of +28.47% from the stock's valuation. The prior consensus target mean was $151.00 as of August 28, 2026, representing a consensus target revision of +0.02%.
In terms of analyst recommendations, the current recommendation period as of September 1, 2026, shows a total of 25 recommendations. This includes 6 strong buy, 12 buy, 7 hold, 0 sell, and 0 strong sell ratings, resulting in 72.0% positive, 28.0% hold, and 0.0% negative recommendations. These figures are unchanged from the prior recommendation period as of August 1, 2026, which also recorded 25 total recommendations, with 6 strong buy, 12 buy, 7 hold, 0 sell, and 0 strong sell ratings (72.0% positive, 28.0% hold, and 0.0% negative).
Ares Management last reported earnings on July 31, 2026. The company reported actual earnings per share (EPS) of 1.29, compared to an estimate of 1.3203, representing an EPS surprise of -2.29%. Actual revenue for the quarter was $1,428,610,000.00, compared to the estimated revenue of $1,223,691,756.00. The company's upcoming earnings date is scheduled for October 29, 2026, during the before market opens (bmo) session.
Other recent analyst activities include Piper Sandler, which initiated coverage of Ares Management on September 24, 2026, with an Overweight rating.
Recent analyst actions
| Date | Analyst | Prior | Latest recommendation | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 2, 2026 | Wells Fargo | Overweight | initiated coverage | |
| September 24, 2026 | Piper Sandler | Overweight | initiated coverage |
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This story originally appeared on Fintel.