ARES vs. WSE: Ares Management vs. Wise Stock Comparison
How do Ares Management (ARES) and Wise (WSE) stack up? This page sets them side by side across company profile, performance and risk, profitability, growth, financial strength, dividends, and valuation, with selected fundamentals also measured against each stock's industry-group peers.
Company Profile
Ares Management (ARES) and Wise (WSE) both fall under the Financial Services industry group, but ARES is classified in Capital Markets while WSE is classified in Financial Services.
Ares Management (ARES) has been public since May 2, 2014 with a meaningfully longer listed history, while Wise (WSE) only listed on May 11, 2026 — long-window metrics on the WSE side should be interpreted with caution.
| Profile Item | ARES | WSE |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Ares Management Corp. Class A Common Stock | Wise Group plc |
| Country/Region | United States | United Kingdom |
| GICS Sector | Financials | Financials |
| GICS Industry Group | Financial Services | Financial Services |
| GICS Industry | Capital Markets | Financial Services |
| GICS Sub-Industry | Asset Management & Custody Banks | Transaction & Payment Processing Services |
| Market Capitalization | 44.45 billion USD | 10.76 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | NYSE | Nasdaq |
| Listing Date | May 2, 2014 | May 11, 2026 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | ARES | WSE |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | -5.55% | -- |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 13.18% | -- |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | 13.38% | -- |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
| Metric | ARES | WSE |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 44.09% | 44.06% |
| Beta (5Y) | 1.45 | 1.56 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -49.97% | -32.47% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 2.20M | 1.74M |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Both ARES and WSE need 1-year volatility and 1-year return to plot risk-return positioning.
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | ARES | WSE |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | -0.22 | -- |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | -0.31 | -- |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Capital efficiency shows on one side only: Wise (WSE) earns 27.23% on shareholders’ equity, ranked against its industry; Ares Management (ARES) has no ROE this period.
ARES
Financial Services industry group
--
- Max
- 44.78%
- Q3
- 21.85%
- Median
- 12.91%
- Q1
- 4.48%
- Min
- -18.71%
- ARES
- --
WSE
Financial Services industry group
27.23%
- Max
- 44.78%
- WSE
- 27.23%
- Q3
- 21.85%
- Median
- 12.91%
- Q1
- 4.48%
- Min
- -18.71%
Net Margin (TTM)
Both Ares Management (ARES) at 8.69% and Wise (WSE) at 19.93% keep about the typical share of revenue as profit for their industries — neither bottom line stands out from peers.
ARES
Financial Services industry group
8.69%
- Max
- 62.84%
- Q3
- 28.05%
- Median
- 15.36%
- ARES
- 8.69%
- Q1
- 4.82%
- Min
- -28.52%
WSE
Financial Services industry group
19.93%
- Max
- 62.84%
- Q3
- 28.05%
- WSE
- 19.93%
- Median
- 15.36%
- Q1
- 4.82%
- Min
- -28.52%
Operating Margin (TTM)
Wise (WSE) at 59.77% carries a top-quartile operating margin, while Ares Management (ARES) at 2.89% operates in the bottom quartile.
ARES
Financial Services industry group
2.89%
- Max
- 107.33%
- Q3
- 55.90%
- Median
- 30.09%
- Q1
- 14.60%
- ARES
- 2.89%
- Min
- -44.34%
WSE
Financial Services industry group
59.77%
- Max
- 107.33%
- WSE
- 59.77%
- Q3
- 55.90%
- Median
- 30.09%
- Q1
- 14.60%
- Min
- -44.34%
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | ARES | WSE |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | -- | 27.23% |
| ROA (TTM) | -- | 2.41% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 8.69% | 19.93% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 2.89% | 59.77% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | -- | -- |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Ares Management (ARES) at 44.19% sits in the top revenue growth quartile, while Wise (WSE) at 17.14% is closer to the peer norm — faster top-line expansion for ARES.
EPS Growth
Both Ares Management (ARES) at -16.67% and Wise (WSE) at -5.78% land near their industries' usual EPS growth ranges, so bottom-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | ARES | WSE |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 44.19% | 17.14% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 22.39% | 30.26% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | -16.67% | -5.78% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | 25.02% | 52.89% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
current ratio doesn’t apply on either side: Ares Management (ARES) in Financial Services and Wise (WSE) in Financial Services both report balance sheets without a current/non-current split, so their short-term liquidity is better judged through regulatory and funding measures.
Debt / Equity (MRQ)
debt-to-equity ratio is set aside for both: Ares Management (ARES) in Financial Services and Wise (WSE) in Financial Services run businesses where balance-sheet leverage is part of the model, so capital-adequacy and funding measures are the better gauges of balance-sheet risk.
Financial Strength Metrics
| Metric | ARES | WSE |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | -- | -- |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | -- | -- |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | -- | -- |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Wise (WSE) pays no dividend (yield 0.00%) — it may be reinvesting, using buybacks, or simply not returning cash through dividends. Meanwhile Ares Management (ARES) reports a yield of 3.87%, ranking against industry peers normally.
ARES
Financial Services industry group
3.87%
- Max
- 9.77%
- Q3
- 3.92%
- ARES
- 3.87%
- Median
- 1.09%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
WSE
Financial Services industry group
0.00%
- Max
- 9.77%
- Q3
- 3.92%
- Median
- 1.09%
- WSE
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
Ares Management (ARES) reports payout ratio above 100% at 423.77%, meaning dividends exceeded current-period earnings; Wise (WSE) pays no dividend (payout 0.00%).
ARES
Financial Services industry group
423.77%
- ARES
- 423.77%
- Max
- 241.07%
- Q3
- 97.36%
- Median
- 25.77%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
WSE
Financial Services industry group
0.00%
- Max
- 241.07%
- Q3
- 97.36%
- Median
- 25.77%
- WSE
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | ARES | WSE |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 3.87% | 0.00% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 423.77% | 0.00% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
Wise (WSE) at 23.23 is near its industry’s usual P/E ratio, while Ares Management (ARES) at 109.82 sits above its peer range — an unusually expensive price for ARES’s trailing earnings.
ARES
Financial Services industry group
109.82
- ARES
- 109.82
- Max
- 45.85
- Q3
- 24.64
- Median
- 15.37
- Q1
- 9.68
- Min
- 0.16
WSE
Financial Services industry group
23.23
- Max
- 45.85
- Q3
- 24.64
- WSE
- 23.23
- Median
- 15.37
- Q1
- 9.68
- Min
- 0.16
P/S Ratio (TTM)
Wise (WSE) at 4.30 is priced about in line with its industry on P/S ratio, while Ares Management (ARES) at 8.92 sits in the pricier quartile — ARES costs more per dollar of sales.
ARES
Financial Services industry group
8.92
- Max
- 9.23
- ARES
- 8.92
- Q3
- 4.57
- Median
- 2.72
- Q1
- 1.28
- Min
- -0.55
WSE
Financial Services industry group
4.30
- Max
- 9.23
- Q3
- 4.57
- WSE
- 4.30
- Median
- 2.72
- Q1
- 1.28
- Min
- -0.55
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
Both look rich against book: Wise (WSE) at 5.94 sits in the upper P/B ratio quartile, and Ares Management (ARES) at 12.15 prices even higher, above its industry range.
ARES
Financial Services industry group
12.15
- ARES
- 12.15
- Max
- 7.79
- Q3
- 3.63
- Median
- 1.57
- Q1
- 0.81
- Min
- -0.39
WSE
Financial Services industry group
5.94
- Max
- 7.79
- WSE
- 5.94
- Q3
- 3.63
- Median
- 1.57
- Q1
- 0.81
- Min
- -0.39
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | ARES | WSE |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 109.82 | 23.23 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 8.92 | 4.30 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 12.15 | 5.94 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | -- | -- |