Ares Management has raised more than $20bn in the first quarter of 2025, setting a new fundraising record for the firm and pushing total assets under management to nearly $546bn — a 27% increase year-on-year.

More than half of the capital raised was allocated to Ares’ credit group, as investor appetite for private credit continues to surge. The firm’s Q1 results include $1.09 in after-tax realised income per share and $367.3m in fee-related earnings. Ares declared a quarterly dividend of $1.12 per share for its Class A and non-voting common stock, alongside a $0.84375 dividend for its 6.75% Series B preferred shares.

“We reported strong first quarter results with robust fundraising and investing activities,” said Michael Arougheti, CEO of Ares. “Assets under management surpassed a half a trillion dollars, reflecting 20% or more year-over-year growth in many of our key financial metrics.”

CFO Jarrod Phillips added, “With a record amount of assets under management not yet paying fees of nearly $100bn, we remain well positioned to make attractive investments in a volatile market environment.”

The results highlight Ares’ management fee-centric, asset-light model, which has historically allowed the firm to grow through market cycles, particularly in times of dislocation.

Source: Capital Brief