Approximately $6.3 Billion in New Commitments Closed in the Third Quarter and Approximately $43.4 Billion Closed in the 12 Months Ended September 30, 2026
NEW YORK, Oct. 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Ares Management Corporation (NYSE: ARES) announced today that Ares Credit funds (collectively “Ares”) closed U.S. direct lending commitments of approximately $6.3 billion across 55 transactions during the third quarter of 2026 and approximately $43.4 billion across 314 transactions in the 12 months ended September 30, 2026. Below is a description of selected transactions that Ares closed during the third quarter of 2026.
AirX Climate Solutions / Gryphon Investors
Ares served as administrative agent, lead arranger and bookrunner for a senior secured credit facility to support Gryphon Partners’ continued growth plans for AirX Climate Solutions. AirX Climate Solutions is a leading provider of specialty industrial and commercial HVAC equipment and services to a diverse set of end markets.
Chess.com / CVC Capital Partners
Ares served as administrative agent, lead arranger and bookrunner for a senior secured credit facility to support CVC Capital Partners’ acquisition of Chess.com. Chess.com is an online platform for playing chess, providing chess-related content, educational resources, and hosting chess events.
Curi Capital / The Vistria Group
Ares served as administrative agent, lead arranger and bookrunner for a senior secured credit facility to support The Vistria Group’s acquisition of Curi Capital. Curi Capital is an investment advisor providing wealth management, investment management, family office services, and retirement plan solutions.
Custom Flavors / Butterfly Equity and Graham Partners
Ares served as joint lead arranger and joint bookrunner for a senior secured credit facility to support Butterfly Equity and Graham Partners’ partnership with Custom Flavors, alongside Graham Partners’ existing portfolio company Target Flavors. Custom Flavors and Target Flavors are specialty flavor solutions formulators and manufacturers across various applications including functional foods & nutraceuticals, beverages, snacks, dairy, etc.
Essor Group
Ares served as administrative agent for a senior secured credit facility to support continued growth plans for Essor Group. Essor Group is a multi-brand platform that sells consumer products across health & wellness, lifestyle, personal care, and beauty industries.
Harbourfront Wealth Management / Berkshire Partners
Ares served as administrative agent, joint lead arranger and joint bookrunner for a senior secured credit facility supporting Berkshire Partners’ acquisition of Harbourfront Wealth Management. Harbourfront is an independent Canadian wealth management and investment advisory firm offering portfolio management, financial planning, proprietary alternative investment solutions, and family-office-style services to high-net-worth and retail investors across Canada.
Inszone / Lightyear Capital, BHMS Investments
Ares served as administrative agent, joint lead arranger and joint bookrunner for a senior secured credit facility to support Lightyear Capital and BHMS Investments’ continued growth plans for Inszone. Inszone is a full-service insurance brokerage firm offering a wide range of property and casualty and employee benefits solutions.
NewEdge Capital / Parthenon Capital
Ares served as co-lead arranger and joint bookrunner for a senior secured credit facility to support Parthenon Capital’s continued growth plans for NewEdge Capital. NewEdge Capital is a wealth management platform that empowers both captive and independent advisors and the families they serve.
Prime Capital / Carlyle
Ares served as administrative agent, lead arranger and bookrunner for a senior secured credit facility to support Carlyle’s continued growth plans for Prime Capital Financial. Prime Capital Financial is a rapidly growing, independent wealth management firm serving over 25,000 households and 1,000 enterprises nationwide.
Steward Partners Global Advisory / Cynosure, The Pritzker Organization
Ares served as a joint lead arranger and joint bookrunner for a senior secured credit facility to support Cynosure and The Pritzker Organization’s continued growth plans for Steward Partners. Steward Partners is an independent, advisory-centric hybrid wealth management platform serving HNW individuals across the U.S.
Tactacam / GTCR
Ares served as administrative agent and joint lead arranger for a senior secured credit facility to support GTCR’s acquisition of Tactacam. Tactacam is a provider of cellular-connected trail and security cameras to over one million subscribers across the United States.
About Ares Management Corporation
Ares Management Corporation (NYSE: ARES) is a leading global alternative investment manager offering clients complementary primary and secondary investment solutions across the credit, real estate, private equity and infrastructure asset classes. We seek to advance our stakeholders’ long-term goals by providing flexible capital that supports businesses and creates value for our investors and within our communities. By collaborating across our investment groups, we aim to generate consistent and attractive investment returns throughout market cycles. As of September 30, 2026, Ares Management Corporation’s global platform had approximately $691 billion of assets under management, with operations across North America, South America, Europe, Asia Pacific and the Middle East. For more information, please visit www.ares.com.
Investor Relations:
irares@ares.com
Media:
media@ares.com
View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ares-management-announces-third-quarter-2026-us-direct-lending-origination-activity-302922914.html
SOURCE Ares Management Corporation
