Ares Management Prices New CLO Amid Market Weakness
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Feb 19 2026
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Should l Buy ARES?
Source: Newsfilter
Ares Management Corp's stock fell 4.82% and hit a 20-day low amid broader market declines, with the Nasdaq-100 down 0.68% and the S&P 500 down 0.23%.
The company successfully priced its second European Direct Lending Collateralized Loan Obligation (CLO), raising over €300 million, which reflects strong demand and solidifies Ares's position in the European market. This CLO consists of loans from over 70 middle-market companies in resilient industries, showcasing Ares's expertise in managing bespoke investment vehicles. Despite the overall market weakness, this successful pricing indicates investor confidence in Ares's strategic initiatives.
This development highlights Ares Management's ongoing strength in asset management, with nearly $623 billion in assets under management. The successful CLO pricing could provide a buffer against market volatility, reinforcing Ares's leadership in the investment management sector.
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Analyst Views on ARES
Wall Street analysts forecast ARES stock price to rise
10 Analyst Rating
8 Buy
2 Hold
0 Sell
Strong Buy
Current: 108.850
Low
155.00
Averages
191.40
High
223.00
Current: 108.850
Low
155.00
Averages
191.40
High
223.00
About ARES
Ares Management Corporation is an alternative investment manager offering clients complementary primary and secondary investment solutions across various asset classes. Its segments include Credit Group, Private Equity Group, Real Assets Group, Secondaries Group, and Other. The Credit Group segment manages credit strategies across the liquid and illiquid spectrum, including liquid credit, alternative credit, direct lending and APAC credit. The Private Equity Group segment categorizes its investment strategies as corporate private equity, special opportunities and APAC private equity. The Real Assets Group segment manages comprehensive equity and debt strategies across real estate and infrastructure investments. The Secondaries Group segment invests in secondary markets across a range of alternative asset class strategies, including private equity, real estate, infrastructure and credit. It has operations across North America, South America, Europe, Asia Pacific and the Middle East.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
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- Surge in Redemption Requests: Blue Owl Capital Corp. II halted quarterly redemptions and sold $1.4 billion in direct lending investments to provide liquidity, becoming one of the first non-traded private credit funds affected by redemption requests, indicating urgent market demand for liquidity.
- Investment Opportunities Arise: Despite market challenges, Weinstein remains optimistic about major private credit managers like Ares, Apollo, and Blackstone, believing these firms will emerge as winners after market fluctuations, demonstrating confidence in the industry's future.
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See More
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- Oil Price Fluctuations: U.S. benchmark WTI crude prices have fallen below $90 a barrel, despite being up over 50% year-to-date, indicating market optimism regarding improved U.S.-Iran relations, yet geopolitical risks continue to loom over oil prices.
- Tech Stock Rating Changes: Intuit was upgraded to buy from hold by Rothschild & Co Redburn, with its stock rising over 30% since late February, although it remains down 28.5% for the year, reflecting a recovery in market confidence in its software products.
- Cybersecurity Stock Bounce: Morgan Stanley upgraded CrowdStrike from hold to buy, with its stock up over 20% from last month's low, highlighting the positive impact of AI technology on the cybersecurity sector and indicating optimistic market expectations for future growth.
- Hewlett Packard Enterprise's Positive Outlook: Despite memory cost pressures, the company raised its full-year earnings outlook, with reported quarterly revenues slightly below expectations but gross margins and adjusted EPS exceeding forecasts, demonstrating strong demand in the data center buildout.
See More
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- Market Weakness: The S&P 500 index fell by 1.33%, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average hit a 3.5-month low, reflecting investor concerns over the Middle East conflict potentially driving energy prices higher and sparking inflation risks, which dampens market confidence.
- Disappointing Employment Data: The US nonfarm payrolls unexpectedly dropped by 92,000 in February, with the unemployment rate rising to 4.4%, indicating a weakening labor market that raises doubts about economic health and may lead the Fed to adopt a more cautious approach in future policy adjustments.
- Surge in Energy Prices: WTI crude oil prices surged over 12% to a 2.5-year high as the ongoing Middle East conflict exacerbates supply concerns, which is expected to push global oil prices even higher, impacting profitability across related sectors.
- Corporate Earnings Resilience: Despite the overall market decline, 74% of S&P 500 companies reported earnings that exceeded expectations, with Q4 earnings growth projected at 8.4%, demonstrating a degree of resilience among businesses that may support future market recovery.
See More
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- Healthcare Sector Decline: As of midday Friday, the healthcare sector is down 1.8%, with CRH plc and Revvity Inc showing losses of 4.3% and 4.0%, respectively, indicating overall weakness that may affect investor confidence.
- ETF Underperformance: The Health Care Select Sector SPDR ETF is down 1.1% on the day and 1.63% year-to-date, reflecting a cautious investor sentiment towards the healthcare sector, potentially leading to capital outflows.
- Financial Sector Weakness: The financial sector is also down 1.8%, with Blackrock Inc and Ares Management Corp declining by 7.4% and 6.6%, respectively, signaling market concerns over financial stocks that could impact overall market sentiment.
- ETF Tracking Financial Stocks: The Financial Select Sector SPDR ETF is down 2.0% in midday trading and 8.30% year-to-date, indicating a lack of investor confidence in the financial sector, which may lead to broader market volatility.
See More
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- Blackstone Withdrawal Pressure: Blackstone raised its usual 5% redemption cap to 7% after its $82 billion BCRED fund faced record withdrawal requests of 7.9%, indicating a significant decline in market confidence in private credit.
- BlackRock Redemption Limits: BlackRock capped redemptions from its Corporate Lending Fund after receiving $1.2 billion in withdrawal requests in Q1, which is about 9.3% of its net asset value, paying out $620 million and blocking the rest, highlighting a growing liquidity crisis.
- Blue Owl Capital Liquidation: Blue Owl Capital permanently halted quarterly redemptions last month and is liquidating $1.4 billion in assets, reflecting severe financial pressure and a deteriorating market environment.
- Deteriorating Economic Data: The U.S. economy lost 92,000 jobs in February, with unemployment rising to 4.4%, while Brent crude topped $90 for the first time, indicating signs of economic slowdown and increasing market uncertainty.
See More
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Market Impact: U.S. alternative asset managers are experiencing a downturn in pre-market conditions following BlackRock's recent redemption limits.
Redemption Limits: BlackRock has implemented restrictions on redemptions at its private credit fund, influencing investor sentiment and market dynamics.
See More
