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Side-by-side financial comparison of Ares Management Corp (ARES) and Crown Castle (CCI). Click either name above to swap in a different company.

Ares Management Corp is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($1.5B vs $1.0B, roughly 1.5× Crown Castle). Ares Management Corp runs the higher net margin — 3.6% vs -45.9%, a 49.5% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, Ares Management Corp posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (19.5% vs -4.8%). Over the past eight quarters, Ares Management Corp's revenue compounded faster (45.9% CAGR vs -4.5%).

Ares Management Corporation is a global alternative investment manager operating in the credit, private equity and real estate markets. The company was founded in 1997, with additional offices across North America, Europe, and Asia.

Crown Castle Inc. is a real estate investment trust and provider of shared communications infrastructure in the United States headquartered in Houston, Texas. Operating with 100 offices worldwide, its network includes over 40,000 cell towers and approximately 85,000 route miles of fiber supporting small cells and fiber systems.

ARES vs CCI — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
ARES
ARES
1.5× larger
ARES
$1.5B
$1.0B
CCI
Growing faster (revenue YoY)
ARES
ARES
+24.3% gap
ARES
19.5%
-4.8%
CCI
Higher net margin
ARES
ARES
49.5% more per $
ARES
3.6%
-45.9%
CCI
Faster 2-yr revenue CAGR
ARES
ARES
Annualised
ARES
45.9%
-4.5%
CCI

Income Statement — Q4 FY2025 vs Q1 FY2026

Metric
ARES
ARES
CCI
CCI
Revenue
$1.5B
$1.0B
Net Profit
$54.2M
$-464.0M
Gross Margin
Operating Margin
13.7%
46.0%
Net Margin
3.6%
-45.9%
Revenue YoY
19.5%
-4.8%
Net Profit YoY
-69.4%
EPS (diluted)
$1.48

Green = leading value per metric. Periods may differ when fiscal calendars don't align.

8-Quarter Revenue & Profit Trend

Side-by-side quarterly history. Quarters aligned by calendar period so offset fiscal years line up.

Revenue
ARES
ARES
CCI
CCI
Q1 26
$1.0B
Q4 25
$1.5B
$1.1B
Q3 25
$1.7B
$1.1B
Q2 25
$1.4B
$1.1B
Q1 25
$1.1B
$1.1B
Q4 24
$1.3B
$1.1B
Q3 24
$1.1B
$1.1B
Q2 24
$788.7M
$1.1B
Net Profit
ARES
ARES
CCI
CCI
Q1 26
$-464.0M
Q4 25
$54.2M
$294.0M
Q3 25
$288.9M
$323.0M
Q2 25
$137.1M
$291.0M
Q1 25
$47.2M
$-464.0M
Q4 24
$177.3M
Q3 24
$118.5M
$303.0M
Q2 24
$94.9M
$251.0M
Gross Margin
ARES
ARES
CCI
CCI
Q1 26
Q4 25
97.4%
Q3 25
97.2%
Q2 25
97.5%
Q1 25
97.4%
Q4 24
97.7%
Q3 24
97.6%
Q2 24
97.7%
Operating Margin
ARES
ARES
CCI
CCI
Q1 26
46.0%
Q4 25
13.7%
48.8%
Q3 25
39.3%
49.0%
Q2 25
21.3%
47.7%
Q1 25
13.0%
49.1%
Q4 24
31.8%
51.0%
Q3 24
29.0%
47.5%
Q2 24
40.2%
44.7%
Net Margin
ARES
ARES
CCI
CCI
Q1 26
-45.9%
Q4 25
3.6%
27.5%
Q3 25
17.4%
30.1%
Q2 25
10.2%
27.5%
Q1 25
4.3%
-43.7%
Q4 24
14.1%
Q3 24
10.5%
27.1%
Q2 24
12.0%
22.7%
EPS (diluted)
ARES
ARES
CCI
CCI
Q1 26
$1.48
Q4 25
$0.67
Q3 25
$0.74
Q2 25
$0.67
Q1 25
$-1.07
Q4 24
Q3 24
$0.70
Q2 24
$0.58

Balance Sheet & Financial Strength

Snapshot of each company's liquidity, leverage and book value from the latest quarter.

Metric
ARES
ARES
CCI
CCI
Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand
$55.0M
Total DebtLower is stronger
Stockholders' EquityBook value
$4.3B
Total Assets
$28.6B
$31.4B
Debt / EquityLower = less leverage

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Cash + ST Investments
ARES
ARES
CCI
CCI
Q1 26
$55.0M
Q4 25
$99.0M
Q3 25
$57.0M
Q2 25
$94.0M
Q1 25
$60.0M
Q4 24
$100.0M
Q3 24
$194.0M
Q2 24
$155.0M
Total Debt
ARES
ARES
CCI
CCI
Q1 26
Q4 25
$21.6B
Q3 25
$21.6B
Q2 25
$22.0B
Q1 25
$22.9B
Q4 24
$23.5B
Q3 24
$23.5B
Q2 24
$22.9B
Stockholders' Equity
ARES
ARES
CCI
CCI
Q1 26
Q4 25
$4.3B
$-1.6B
Q3 25
$4.5B
$-1.5B
Q2 25
$4.4B
$-1.4B
Q1 25
$4.5B
$-1.3B
Q4 24
$3.5B
$-133.0M
Q3 24
$2.1B
$5.3B
Q2 24
$2.0B
$5.7B
Total Assets
ARES
ARES
CCI
CCI
Q1 26
$31.4B
Q4 25
$28.6B
$31.5B
Q3 25
$27.0B
$31.5B
Q2 25
$27.3B
$31.6B
Q1 25
$27.2B
$31.8B
Q4 24
$24.9B
$32.7B
Q3 24
$24.5B
$38.0B
Q2 24
$24.2B
$38.2B
Debt / Equity
ARES
ARES
CCI
CCI
Q1 26
Q4 25
Q3 25
Q2 25
Q1 25
Q4 24
Q3 24
4.43×
Q2 24
4.04×

Cash Flow & Capital Efficiency

How much cash each business actually produces after reinvestment. Cash flow is harder to manipulate than net income.

Metric
ARES
ARES
CCI
CCI
Operating Cash FlowLast quarter
$-483.7M
Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex
$-43.0M
FCF MarginFCF / Revenue
-4.3%
Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue
1.0%
Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit
-8.92×
TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters
$4.3B

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Operating Cash Flow
ARES
ARES
CCI
CCI
Q1 26
Q4 25
$-483.7M
$3.1B
Q3 25
$1.3B
$714.0M
Q2 25
$415.7M
$832.0M
Q1 25
$2.0B
$641.0M
Q4 24
$807.6M
$2.9B
Q3 24
$841.3M
$699.0M
Q2 24
$432.2M
$768.0M
Free Cash Flow
ARES
ARES
CCI
CCI
Q1 26
$-43.0M
Q4 25
$2.9B
Q3 25
$671.0M
Q2 25
$792.0M
Q1 25
$601.0M
Q4 24
$2.8B
Q3 24
$661.0M
Q2 24
$729.0M
FCF Margin
ARES
ARES
CCI
CCI
Q1 26
-4.3%
Q4 25
268.4%
Q3 25
62.6%
Q2 25
74.7%
Q1 25
56.6%
Q4 24
247.3%
Q3 24
59.0%
Q2 24
65.9%
Capex Intensity
ARES
ARES
CCI
CCI
Q1 26
1.0%
Q4 25
17.0%
Q3 25
4.0%
Q2 25
3.8%
Q1 25
3.8%
Q4 24
15.7%
Q3 24
3.4%
Q2 24
3.5%
Cash Conversion
ARES
ARES
CCI
CCI
Q1 26
Q4 25
-8.92×
10.40×
Q3 25
4.64×
2.21×
Q2 25
3.03×
2.86×
Q1 25
42.28×
Q4 24
4.55×
Q3 24
7.10×
2.31×
Q2 24
4.55×
3.06×

Financial Flow Comparison

Revenue → gross profit → operating profit → net profit for each company.

Revenue Breakdown by Segment

ARES
ARES

Management Service$991.1M66%
Management Service Incentive$206.7M14%
Carried Interest$205.4M14%
Fee Related Performance Revenues$113.3M8%

CCI
CCI

Site rental$961.0M95%
Services and other$49.0M5%

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