Ares Management Q3 vs. Q4 2022: The Rise, Fall, and Steady 13F Holdings

The third quarter and fourth quarter of 2022 have been interesting months for Ares Management LLC, a renowned alternative investment management firm managing assets worth $144 billion. A look at their recently filed 13F holdings reveals significant changes in their holdings of several companies.

Frontier Communications Parent Inc stayed steady, with 35,205,132 shares in Q3 and Q4 2022, respectively. Although the share volume didn't change, Q4 had an 8.7% increase in value to $897,026 from $824,856 in Q3. Baring BDC Inc also held onto its shares with 4,804,852 in both quarters. However, the value of these shares declined by 1.5%, dropping from $39,736 in Q3 to $39,159 in Q4.

On the other hand, some companies experienced substantial increases in share volumes and value. AZEK Co Inc/The had 19,096,090 shares, and the value rose by 22.3% from $317,377 in Q3 to $388,032 in Q4. California Resources Corporation's share value rose by 13.2%, from 2,699,385 to 2,699,385 shares. SPDR Blackstone Senior Loan ETF held steady with 2,000,000 shares, but interestingly, the value rose by 0.1%, from $81,740 in Q3 to $81,800 in Q4.

However, the same couldn't be said for Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings, whose shares rose from 47,649,626 to 49,649,626. Unfortunately, their share value dropped by 20.1%, from $65,280 in Q3 to $52,132 in Q4. Another company with declining share value was Multiplan Corp, whose share volume rose from 7,814,580 in Q3 to 12,642,418 in Q4; however, the value plummeted by 34.9%, from $22,350 in Q3 to $14,538 in Q4.

Antero Resources Corp, Tutor Perini Corporation, and BlackRock Debt Strat Fd Inc are among the few companies that remained stable with their small share volumes, with no change in share volume, but the share's value saw increases of 1.5%, 36.9%, and 3%, respectively.

Ares Management LLC's biggest surprise was Affirm Holdings Inc, whose share volume was zero in Q3 but had 73,000,000 shares in Q4! Its Q4 share value was $40,150, producing an enigma as to why the company would hold many shares in the fourth quarter without any in the third.

In conclusion, Ares Management LLC's Q3 and Q4 2022 13F holdings present an encouraging picture. The incrementally rising values of various shares show that they are holding onto the right investments in the long run. Will the trend continue in the foreseeable future? We wait and watch.