Ares Management Corporation filed an 8-K press release on October 29, 2026, announcing that its Credit funds closed approximately $6.3 billion in U.S. direct lending commitments across 55 transactions in the third quarter of 2026, and approximately $43.4 billion across 314 transactions in the 12 months ended September 30, 2026.

Key Highlights

  • Q3 2026 commitments: Approximately $6.3 billion closed across 55 transactions during the third quarter of 2026, according to the filing.
  • Trailing 12-month commitments: Approximately $43.4 billion closed across 314 transactions in the 12 months ended September 30, 2026.
  • Selected transactions: The filing names 11 specific deals, including senior secured credit facilities supporting acquisitions by CVC Capital Partners (Chess.com), Berkshire Partners (Harbourfront Wealth Management), Carlyle (Prime Capital Financial), and GTCR (Tactacam), among others.
  • Roles held: Ares served as administrative agent, lead arranger, and/or bookrunner across the highlighted transactions.
  • Assets under management: As of September 30, 2026, the company reported approximately $691 billion of assets under management globally, according to the filing.

Ares Credit Funds Detail Q3 2026 U.S. Direct Lending Activity

According to the October 29, 2026 press release, Ares Credit funds closed U.S. direct lending commitments of approximately $6.3 billion across 55 transactions in the third quarter of 2026. Over the trailing 12-month period ended September 30, 2026, the filing reports approximately $43.4 billion closed across 314 transactions. The company is listed on NYSE:ARES.

The filing describes 11 selected transactions closed during Q3 2026. These include senior secured credit facilities for: AirX Climate Solutions (backed by Gryphon Investors), Chess.com (acquired by CVC Capital Partners), Curi Capital (acquired by The Vistria Group), Custom Flavors (supported by Butterfly Equity and Graham Partners alongside Target Flavors), Essor Group, Harbourfront Wealth Management (acquired by Berkshire Partners), Inszone (backed by Lightyear Capital and BHMS Investments), NewEdge Capital (backed by Parthenon Capital), Prime Capital Financial (backed by Carlyle), Steward Partners Global Advisory (backed by Cynosure and The Pritzker Organization), and Tactacam (acquired by GTCR). The filing notes that Prime Capital Financial serves "over 25,000 households and 1,000 enterprises nationwide" and that Tactacam has "over one million subscribers across the United States."

Ares's roles across these deals varied: the filing identifies it as administrative agent, lead arranger, and bookrunner in several transactions, and as joint lead arranger or co-lead arranger in others. The filing describes Ares Management Corporation as "a leading global alternative investment manager" with operations across North America, South America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and the Middle East, and reports approximately $691 billion in assets under management as of September 30, 2026.

What Was Disclosed

Ares Management Corporation disclosed its Ares Credit fund activity for Q3 2026 and the trailing 12 months ended September 30, 2026, including total commitment volume, transaction counts, and descriptions of 11 selected direct lending deals.