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Stock Comparison · Structural lead, mixed market

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. vs Ares Management: Which Stock Looks Stronger in 2026?

The structural profiles are close, with Arthur J. Gallagher carrying a narrow edge on stability. Ares Management still has the edge on profitability, which keeps the comparison from looking entirely one-sided. Both sides have seen trend damage — neither carries a clear market edge right now. With both trends damaged, the structural comparison carries most of the weight here.

The comparison is based on similar long-term financial trajectories, not sector labels. Both peer scores are relative to the Russell 1000 universe, making them directly comparable.

Updated 2026-05-17

The clearest score difference appears in stability, while growth still leans the other way.

Trajectory Similarity
0.69
Moderately similar
Peer-set rank: #10
within Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.'s functional peer set

These two companies are linked by measured long-term financial trajectory similarity within the selected peer universe.

A moderate similarity means the pair is structurally comparable, but not a near-twin trajectory match.

Most of the shared profile comes through investment intensity and revenue growth trajectory.

Similarity drivers
investment intensityrevenue growth trajectory
What reduces the match
recent revenue growth
How to read the score
0.85–1.00 · Very similar0.70–0.84 · Similar0.55–0.69 · Moderately similarbelow 0.55 · Loose match
Peer-Relative Score
AJG
Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.
50
Peer-Score
Signal qualitylow
Peer basis: Russell 1000
vs
ARES
Ares Management Corporation
46
Peer-Score
Signal qualitylow
Peer basis: Russell 1000

Scores reflect position relative to comparable companies with similar long-term financial trajectories.

The largest gaps do not all point in the same direction.

Dimension spread: AJG vs ARES Profitability 31 55 Stability 53 25 Valuation 54 35 Growth 69 73 AJG ARES
Gap Ranking
#1 Stability +28
#2 Profitability +24
#3 Valuation +19
#4 Growth +4
Price Setup

Left means cheaper relative valuation. Higher means stronger structure.

Price setup map for AJG and ARES Stronger + cheaper Stronger + richer Weaker + cheaper Weaker + richer AJGARES Relative valuation Structural strength

The structural gap is limited here, but current pricing still leans against Ares Management Corporation.

Valuation position uses peer-relative PE percentile (idx_pct_pe) where available.

Entry today — historical context

Where AJG and ARES each sit in their own 5-year price and valuation history.

BASED ON 5-YEAR HISTORY AJG Neutral · below norm 0th 50th 100th 20 pct gap ARES Neutral · below norm 0th 50th 100th 40th 60th
Today AJG sits in the lower-middle of its own 5-year history (40th percentile), while ARES sits higher in its own history (60th). Within each stock's own 5-year context, AJG is at a historically more favourable entry position than ARES. This reflects entry timing, not which company is structurally stronger — peer-relative analysis is a separate question addressed above.

Describes historical entry positioning only. Descriptive — not investment advice.

Relative Position vs Comparable Companies
Stability
On stability, Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. is positioned higher in the group, while Ares Management Corporation is closer to the middle.
Profitability
On profitability, Ares Management Corporation is positioned higher in the group, while Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. is closer to the middle.
Stability — Dominant Gap
AJG
53
ARES
25
Gap+28in favour of AJG

The clearest distance comes from a steadier profile over time.

What keeps the gap from being one-sided

Capital efficiency also runs the other way, with a 5.8-point ROIC edge acting as a real counterforce.

What this means for the comparison

Stability points more clearly to Arthur J. Gallagher & Co., but profitability and current pricing keep the broader result mixed.

Explore full peer positioning in AssetNext

Break down the AJG vs ARES comparison across all dimensions with the full interactive tool.

Explore full breakdown →
Other comparisons with conflicting dimension signals

Explore how AJG and ARES each compare against other companies in their peer groups.

Rule-based, descriptive analysis only. Derived from peer percentile dimensions. Not investment advice. Peer groups are determined algorithmically based on structural similarity — not by sector classification alone.

How AssetNext Peer Scores Work

AssetNext scores reflect each company's structural position within its functional peer group — not a ranking against all stocks simultaneously. Peers are identified by similarity across eight financial dimensions, including revenue growth trajectory, margin structure, capital intensity, and earnings stability. A score of 75 means the company ranks in the top quartile within its own peer group, not the entire market.

Four dimension scores drive the overall peer score: Growth (revenue trajectory and expansion dynamics), Quality (margin structure and capital efficiency), Valuation (peer-relative pricing on standard multiples), and Stability (earnings consistency and financial predictability). Each dimension is scored 0–100 relative to the peer group, then combined into an overall peer score using equal weighting.

Because scores are peer-relative, the same company can have slightly different scores in different index universes. On comparison pages, both companies are shown within their shared peer universe wherever possible — so the scores are directly comparable. The peer basis is stated on each score card.

Scores are recalculated periodically as underlying financial data is updated. All analysis is descriptive and rule-based — AssetNext describes structural realities and never issues buy, sell or hold recommendations.