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ARES vs. DFS: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison

Updated

Here’s a clear look at ARES and DFS, comparing key factors like performance, valuation metrics, dividends, and financial strength. It’s built for investors or anyone curious to see how these two stocks match up.

Company Overview

With ARES at 34.18 billion USD and DFS at 50.34 billion USD, their market capitalizations sit in the same ballpark.

With betas of 1.42 for ARES and 1.15 for DFS, both show similar volatility profiles relative to the overall market.

SymbolARESDFS
Company NameAres Management CorporationDiscover Financial Services
CountryUSUS
SectorFinancial ServicesFinancial Services
IndustryAsset ManagementFinancial - Credit Services
CEOMr. Michael J. AroughetiMr. J. Michael Shepherd
Price158.98 USD200.05 USD
Market Cap34.18 billion USD50.34 billion USD
Beta1.421.15
ExchangeNYSENYSE
IPO DateMay 2, 2014June 14, 2007
ADRNoNo

Performance Comparison

This chart compares the performance of ARES and DFS over the past year by tracking the growth of an initial $10,000 investment in each (starting one year ago).

Hover over the lines to see the investment’s value and total return (%) at specific dates.

Data is adjusted for dividends and splits.

Valuation Metrics Comparison

For a detailed comparison of valuation metrics between ARES and DFS, please refer to the table below.

SymbolARESDFS
Price-to-Earnings Ratio (P/E, TTM)64.7210.31
Forward PEG Ratio (TTM)2.920.93
Price-to-Sales Ratio (P/S, TTM)6.952.52
Price-to-Book Ratio (P/B, TTM)7.472.66
Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (P/FCF, TTM)6.225.96
EV-to-EBITDA (TTM)20.915.87
EV-to-Sales (TTM)6.971.92
EV-to-Free Cash Flow (TTM)6.234.55

Dividend Comparison

ARES’s dividend yield of 2.46% is about 76% higher than DFS’s 1.40%, underscoring its stronger focus on returning cash to shareholders.

SymbolARESDFS
Dividend Yield (TTM)2.46%1.40%

Financial Strength Metrics Comparison

This section dives into the financial resilience of ARES and DFS, spotlighting key metrics like liquidity, leverage, and debt coverage. Check out the standout observations below where notable differences or extremes pop up.

  • With current ratios of 0.90 and 0.00, both ARES and DFS have less current assets than short-term liabilities, which could strain their working capital and force reliance on additional financing.
  • DFS posts a quick ratio of 0.00, indicating limited coverage of short-term debts from its most liquid assets—while ARES at 0.90 enjoys stronger liquidity resilience.
SymbolARESDFS
Current Ratio (TTM)0.900.00
Quick Ratio (TTM)0.900.00
Debt-to-Equity Ratio (TTM)0.150.00
Debt-to-Assets Ratio (TTM)0.030.00
Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)1.951.91