Ares Management Corporation (ARES) vs Discover Financial Services (DFS)
DFS leads on 10 of 14 compared metrics.
A side-by-side comparison of Ares Management Corporation and Discover Financial Services across valuation, profitability, dividends, and growth — built entirely from reported fundamentals, as of June 16, 2026. The ● marks the stronger figure on each row (cheaper multiple, higher margin/return).
ARES
Ares Management Corporation
$135.36Financial Services
DFS
Discover Financial Services
$200.05Financial Services
Total return — ARES vs DFS
growth of $100 · last 11yARES +814.8%DFS +254.1%ARES compounded faster
ARES DFS
ARES vs DFS: by the numbers
- •DFS is the larger company ($50.34B vs $44.45B market cap).
- •DFS trades at the lower earnings multiple (10.67 vs 56.87 P/E).
- •DFS converts more revenue to profit (21.65% vs 9.87% net margin).
- •ARES grew revenue faster over the past five years (27.56% vs 13.84% CAGR).
- •ARES pays the higher dividend yield (3.65% vs 1.40%).
Which is better, ARES or DFS?
Metric tally: ARES 4 · DFS 10It depends on what you're optimizing for:
ValueDFS(lower P/E)
GrowthARES(faster 5Y revenue CAGR)
IncomeARES(higher dividend yield)
QualityDFS(higher ROIC)
Metrics side by side
Valuation
| Metric | ARES | DFS |
|---|---|---|
| P/E ratio | 56.87 | 10.67● |
| Forward P/E | 22.54 | 12.59● |
| P/S ratio | 4.81 | 2.28● |
| P/B ratio | 7.53 | 2.66● |
| PEG ratio | 3.32 | 0.15● |
Profitability
| Metric | ARES | DFS |
|---|---|---|
| Gross margin | 70.73%● | 65.86% |
| Operating margin | 22.90% | 34.55%● |
| Net margin | 9.87% | 21.65%● |
| ROE | 15.47% | 25.29%● |
| ROIC | 5.14% | 32.48%● |
Dividends
| Metric | ARES | DFS |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend yield | 3.65%● | 1.40% |
| Payout ratio | 252.04% | 15.81% |
Growth (annualized)
| Metric | ARES | DFS |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue CAGR (5Y) | 27.56%● | 13.84% |
| EPS CAGR (5Y) | 17.11%● | 14.26% |
| Total return CAGR (5Y) | 21.95% | 42.63%● |
Frequently asked
- Which is better, ARES or DFS?
- It depends on your goal. value: DFS (lower P/E); growth: ARES (faster 5Y revenue CAGR); income: ARES (higher dividend yield); quality: DFS (higher ROIC). Across all compared metrics, DFS leads 10 to 4.
- Is ARES or DFS cheaper?
- On trailing earnings, DFS is cheaper: ARES trades at a 56.87 P/E and DFS at 10.67.
- Which has grown faster, ARES or DFS?
- Over the past five years, ARES grew revenue faster — ARES at a 27.56% CAGR versus DFS at 13.84%.
- Does ARES or DFS pay a bigger dividend?
- ARES yields 3.65% and DFS yields 1.40% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.
- Is ARES or DFS more profitable?
- DFS runs the higher net margin — ARES at 9.87% versus DFS at 21.65%.
- Which has been the better investment, ARES or DFS?
- Over the past 10-year, ARES delivered the higher annualized total return — ARES at 31.04% versus DFS at 15.34%. Past performance doesn't predict future results.
Go deeper
Dig into the metrics
Ares Management P/E ratioDiscover Financial Services P/E ratioAres Management dividend yieldDiscover Financial Services dividend yieldAres Management ROEDiscover Financial Services ROEAres Management operating marginDiscover Financial Services operating marginAres Management revenue growthDiscover Financial Services revenue growthAres Management free cash flowDiscover Financial Services free cash flow
Ares Management & Discover Financial Services appear in these rankings
Figures are sourced from reported fundamentals and the latest end-of-day price. This comparison is informational only and is not investment advice. Past performance does not predict future results. See our methodology. Compiled by TGMCharts Research · data verified June 16, 2026.