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

Updated on August 26, 2025

Here’s a clear look at ARES and MARA, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.

Company Profile

Symbol	ARES	MARA
Company Name	Ares Management Corporation	MARA Holdings, Inc.
Country	United States	United States
GICS Sector	Financials	Information Technology
GICS Industry	Capital Markets	Software
Market Capitalization	59.16 billion USD	6.03 billion USD
Exchange	NYSE	NasdaqCM
Listing Date	May 2, 2014	May 4, 2012
Security Type	Common Stock	Common Stock

Historical Performance

This chart compares the performance of ARES and MARA by tracking the growth of an initial $10,000 investment in each. Use the tabs to select the desired time period. Data is adjusted for dividends and splits.

ARES vs. MARA: Growth of a $10,000 investment over the past one year.

Historical Performance at a Glance

Symbol	ARES	MARA
5-Day Price Return	-4.33%	1.24%
13-Week Price Return	13.89%	2.84%
26-Week Price Return	-3.52%	1.50%
52-Week Price Return	25.31%	-7.60%
Month-to-Date Return	-2.40%	1.31%
Year-to-Date Return	2.28%	-2.86%
10-Day Avg. Volume	1.31M	44.68M
3-Month Avg. Volume	1.47M	45.37M
3-Month Volatility	25.86%	66.91%
Beta	1.50	6.41

Profitability

Return on Equity (TTM)

ARES

13.30%

Capital Markets Industry

Max: 38.97%
Q3: 21.61%
Median: 13.77%
Q1: 8.31%
Min: -4.25%

ARES’s Return on Equity of 13.30% is on par with the norm for the Capital Markets industry, indicating its profitability relative to shareholder equity is typical for the sector.

MARA

17.52%

Software Industry

Max: 59.01%
Q3: 21.98%
Median: 7.15%
Q1: -11.12%
Min: -51.24%

MARA’s Return on Equity of 17.52% is on par with the norm for the Software industry, indicating its profitability relative to shareholder equity is typical for the sector.

ARES vs. MARA: A comparison of their Return on Equity (TTM) against their respective Capital Markets and Software industry benchmarks.

Net Profit Margin (TTM)

ARES

9.94%

Capital Markets Industry

Max: 66.67%
Q3: 35.11%
Median: 23.49%
Q1: 13.63%
Min: -15.18%

Falling into the lower quartile for the Capital Markets industry, ARES’s Net Profit Margin of 9.94% indicates weaker profitability. This means the company retains a smaller portion of each dollar in sales as profit compared to its competitors.

MARA

85.02%

Software Industry

Max: 48.14%
Q3: 18.23%
Median: 5.60%
Q1: -9.22%
Min: -49.36%

MARA’s Net Profit Margin of 85.02% is exceptionally high, placing it well beyond the typical range for the Software industry. This demonstrates outstanding operational efficiency and a strong competitive advantage in converting revenue into profit.

ARES vs. MARA: A comparison of their Net Profit Margin (TTM) against their respective Capital Markets and Software industry benchmarks.

Operating Profit Margin (TTM)

ARES

17.40%

Capital Markets Industry

Max: 86.40%
Q3: 46.46%
Median: 32.80%
Q1: 18.32%
Min: -21.87%

ARES’s Operating Profit Margin of 17.40% is in the lower quartile for the Capital Markets industry. This indicates weaker profitability from core operations, which may stem from inefficiencies or competitive pressures on pricing.

MARA

40.16%

Software Industry

Max: 57.34%
Q3: 20.60%
Median: 7.84%
Q1: -8.72%
Min: -51.37%

An Operating Profit Margin of 40.16% places MARA in the upper quartile for the Software industry. This signals a strong ability to translate revenue into operating profit, outperforming most of its competitors in core business efficiency.

ARES vs. MARA: A comparison of their Operating Profit Margin (TTM) against their respective Capital Markets and Software industry benchmarks.

Profitability at a Glance

Symbol	ARES	MARA
Return on Equity (TTM)	13.30%	17.52%
Return on Assets (TTM)	1.85%	11.06%
Net Profit Margin (TTM)	9.94%	85.02%
Operating Profit Margin (TTM)	17.40%	40.16%
Gross Profit Margin (TTM)	--	-26.24%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

ARES

0.31

Capital Markets Industry

Max: 3.76
Q3: 1.89
Median: 1.01
Q1: 0.54
Min: -0.41

For the Capital Markets industry, the Current Ratio is often not the most suitable measure of short-term liquidity.

MARA

0.54

Software Industry

Max: 3.83
Q3: 2.31
Median: 1.45
Q1: 1.03
Min: 0.24

MARA’s Current Ratio of 0.54 falls into the lower quartile for the Software industry. This indicates a tighter liquidity situation and a more constrained capacity to handle short-term debt than many of its competitors.

ARES vs. MARA: A comparison of their Current Ratio (MRQ) against their respective Capital Markets and Software industry benchmarks.

Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ)

ARES

2.93

Capital Markets Industry

Max: 6.62
Q3: 2.84
Median: 1.02
Q1: 0.32
Min: 0.00

The Debt-to-Equity Ratio is often not the primary focus for assessing leverage in the Capital Markets industry.

MARA

0.54

Software Industry

Max: 2.14
Q3: 0.90
Median: 0.29
Q1: 0.00
Min: 0.00

MARA’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.54 is typical for the Software industry, indicating its use of leverage is in line with the sector norm. This suggests a balanced approach to its capital structure.

ARES vs. MARA: A comparison of their Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ) against their respective Capital Markets and Software industry benchmarks.

Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)

ARES

Capital Markets Industry

Max: 126.03
Q3: 60.98
Median: 11.77
Q1: 4.95
Min: -36.26

The Interest Coverage Ratio is often not a primary indicator of debt servicing capacity in the Capital Markets industry.

MARA

10.78

Software Industry

Max: 67.02
Q3: 19.86
Median: 0.70
Q1: -12.50
Min: -53.00

MARA’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 10.78 is positioned comfortably within the norm for the Software industry, indicating a standard and healthy capacity to cover its interest payments.

ARES vs. MARA: A comparison of their Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) against their respective Capital Markets and Software industry benchmarks.

Financial Strength at a Glance

Symbol	ARES	MARA
Current Ratio (MRQ)	0.31	0.54
Quick Ratio (MRQ)	0.31	0.44
Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ)	2.93	0.54
Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)	--	10.78

Growth

Revenue Growth

ARES vs. MARA: A side-by-side comparison of their Revenue Growth for the MRQ (YoY), TTM (YoY), 3-Year CAGR, and 5-Year CAGR periods.

EPS Growth

ARES vs. MARA: A side-by-side comparison of their EPS Growth for the MRQ (YoY), TTM (YoY), 3-Year CAGR, and 5-Year CAGR periods.

Dividend

Dividend Yield (TTM)

ARES

4.01%

Capital Markets Industry

Max: 10.26%
Q3: 4.86%
Median: 2.78%
Q1: 1.22%
Min: 0.00%

ARES’s Dividend Yield of 4.01% is consistent with its peers in the Capital Markets industry, providing a dividend return that is standard for its sector.

MARA

0.00%

Software Industry

Max: 0.08%
Q3: 0.03%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

MARA currently does not pay a dividend, resulting in a yield of 0%. This is a common strategy for growth-focused companies that prioritize reinvesting earnings, though it may be less typical in mature, income-oriented sectors.

ARES vs. MARA: A comparison of their Dividend Yield (TTM) against their respective Capital Markets and Software industry benchmarks.

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

ARES

323.31%

Capital Markets Industry

Max: 200.72%
Q3: 101.92%
Median: 57.97%
Q1: 32.36%
Min: 0.00%

At 323.31%, ARES’s Dividend Payout Ratio is exceptionally high, exceeding the typical range for the Capital Markets industry. While this provides a significant return to shareholders, it may limit funds for reinvestment and could be difficult to sustain.

MARA

0.00%

Software Industry

Max: 1.32%
Q3: 0.53%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

MARA has a Dividend Payout Ratio of 0%, indicating it does not currently pay a dividend. This is a common strategy for growth-oriented companies that reinvest all profits back into the business.

ARES vs. MARA: A comparison of their Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) against their respective Capital Markets and Software industry benchmarks.

Dividend at a Glance

Symbol	ARES	MARA
Dividend Yield (TTM)	4.01%	0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)	323.31%	0.00%

Valuation

Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM)

ARES

80.55

Capital Markets Industry

Max: 58.89
Q3: 31.00
Median: 18.54
Q1: 12.09
Min: 5.24

At 80.55, ARES’s P/E Ratio is exceptionally high, exceeding the typical maximum for the Capital Markets industry. This suggests the stock may be significantly overvalued compared to its peers and implies high market expectations that could be difficult to meet.

MARA

8.39

Software Industry

Max: 149.35
Q3: 100.21
Median: 47.97
Q1: 26.77
Min: 11.68

MARA’s P/E Ratio of 8.39 is below the typical range for the Software industry. This may indicate that the stock is potentially undervalued, or it could reflect market concerns about the company’s future prospects.

ARES vs. MARA: A comparison of their Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM) against their respective Capital Markets and Software industry benchmarks.

Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM)

ARES

8.01

Capital Markets Industry

Max: 14.49
Q3: 7.41
Median: 4.68
Q1: 2.25
Min: 0.04

ARES’s P/S Ratio of 8.01 is in the upper echelon for the Capital Markets industry. This means the company is valued richly on its revenue stream compared to its peers, suggesting the stock is priced for a high level of future performance.

MARA

7.13

Software Industry

Max: 25.24
Q3: 13.52
Median: 8.15
Q1: 4.87
Min: 0.98

MARA’s P/S Ratio of 7.13 aligns with the market consensus for the Software industry. This suggests its valuation, based on sales, is seen as standard and is on par with its competitors.

ARES vs. MARA: A comparison of their Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM) against their respective Capital Markets and Software industry benchmarks.

Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ)

ARES

12.97

Capital Markets Industry

Max: 9.48
Q3: 4.94
Median: 2.42
Q1: 1.21
Min: 0.38

At 12.97, ARES’s P/B Ratio is at an extreme premium to the Capital Markets industry. This signifies that the market’s valuation is heavily reliant on future potential rather than its current net asset value, which can be a high-risk proposition.

MARA

1.15

Software Industry

Max: 30.95
Q3: 14.91
Median: 7.75
Q1: 3.60
Min: 0.38

MARA’s P/B Ratio of 1.15 is in the lower quartile for the Software industry. From a value investing perspective, this is favorable, as it suggests the stock is trading at a discount to its net asset value and may offer a greater margin of safety.

ARES vs. MARA: A comparison of their Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ) against their respective Capital Markets and Software industry benchmarks.

Valuation at a Glance

Symbol	ARES	MARA
Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM)	80.55	8.39
Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM)	8.01	7.13
Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ)	12.97	1.15
Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (TTM)	9.72	1,423.48